Seema Kohli, multidisciplinary artist, at a Mittal Institute event.
The Mittal Institute recently welcomed multidisciplinary artist Seema Kohli for a special event, “A Circle of Our Own,” which explored the relationship between art, poetry, and the feminine divine in her practice. In conversation with Diana L. Eck, Kohli offered reflections on the deeply interconnected nature of her creative work, where visual art and poetry emerge in tandem.
Seema Kohli (second from right) in conversation with Mittal Institute Faculty Director Diana L. Eck (right).
Describing poetry as an integral part of her process, Kohli framed it as a living dialogue between the artist, the canvas, and the image as it takes shape. As part of the program, she performed one of her poems, evoking the themes of beauty, sensuality, and cosmic feminine energy that animate her work and invite viewers into a more expansive understanding of the feminine divine.
The event also built on the Institute’s ongoing engagement with Kohli’s work. In March of the previous year, the Mittal Institute hosted a book talk on Birthing the Goddess: The Feminine and the Idea of Birth, featuring Kohli and scholar Stella Dupuis and moderated by Diana L. Eck. That earlier conversation brought together artistic and scholarly perspectives to consider how goddess traditions shape cultural and spiritual understandings of femininity.
Seema Kohli with members of the Mittal Institute Arts Program community.
This latest gathering drew members of the Harvard community from across disciplines, including faculty such as Stella Dupuis, Vijay Iyer, Vikram Patel, Satchit Balsari, and Doris Sommer, underscoring the wide-ranging interest in Kohli’s work and the themes it engages.
☆ The views represented herein are those of the interview subjects and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Mittal Institute, its staff, or its steering committee.