The Narrative:

Durga is a testament to the quiet, seeking power of art in the face of profound loss. It emerged from a period of deep personal transition for the artist—the time of her father’s passing.

Raised in a liberal Hindu family where duty to family was the highest form of worship, the artist was not a frequent visitor to temples. The ethos she grew up with was practical: to seek God’s help, one must first do the work. Yet, as she faced the inevitability of her father’s death, the ordinary tools of life felt insufficient. She found herself asking unanswerable questions: Where do we find strength when our own runs out? Who will greet him on the other side? Is there peace to be found?

This painting became her sanctuary.

While she spent every possible moment connecting with her father—speaking daily on Skype, bridging the distance between them—the act of painting Durga offered a different kind of connection. It was a space to step away from the crushing responsibility of care and yield to a higher force. It was an acknowledgement that despite our best efforts, despite checking every parameter and doing everything within our power, the ultimate outcome remains beyond our control.

Durga, in Hindu mythology, is the Goddess of Strength, created when even the gods themselves needed power they did not possess. For the artist, painting her was not an act of orthodox ritual, but a necessary channeling of resilience. It was a way to visualise the fortitude she needed but could not generate alone. Her father, ever the parent, worried that her painting took time away from their conversations; he wanted her cared for. She, the daughter, painted to ensure he would be cared for by something greater than herself.

The resulting image is iconic yet intimate. It does not preach; it centers. In a home that had never kept religious icons, Durga appeared as a necessary presence—a soothing anchor in a time of turbulence. The work serves as a reminder of the "greater force" that permeates life, evoking a sense of gratitude and perspective. It is a visual prayer for strength, born from the realisation that when we reach the limits of our own agency, we can still find solace in the act of surrender.