More than an exhibition, a movement: to acknowledge the unseen resilience of women in India’s defence ecosystem, the wives, daughters and mothers who bear the silent weight of service.
Conceptualised by Siddhartha and Aarti Naik and curated by art historian Johny ML, Shakti gathered over twenty artists across painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media, narrating stories of resilience and remembrance. The works asked for reflection, empathy and responsibility, positioning art not as spectacle but as a catalyst for change.
Before the doors opened
Canvases leaning against bare walls, a sculpture still in bubble wrap, pencil marks for every nail. The show took shape by hand, one wall at a time.
A lamp is lit, the doors open
Marigold wound around a brass lamp, petals at the threshold, and a room full of artists, patrons and friends of the defence community.
White walls, warm light
Painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media, hung room by room so each voice had space to be heard.
Fortitude, in many mediums
From script and gold leaf to bronze and oil: a walk along the walls.
The Lavani, in black and white
Visitors were greeted by Padma Shri Sudharak Olwe’s portraits of Maharashtra’s Lavani performers: artists lining up in glee, a dancer arched mid-step, a performer looking straight into the lens.
“These women command crowds and carry themselves with immense dignity. That, to me, is resilience.”
Admiration, made tangible
During the exhibition, KIAN Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA). Net proceeds, after artist compensation and operating costs, go directly to:
“Delhi is where Shakti belongs.”
“Art has the power to create empathy and action.”
Twenty voices
As it was reported
Coverage in print and online, October 2025. Tap a clipping to read it.
