Unseen Shadows

Unseen Shadows explores the often-unacknowledged realms of women's identity and labour, navigating the invisible contributions that shape both industrial and domestic spaces. At the intersection of materiality and socio-political critique, this exhibition brings into focus the narratives of erasure and the undervaluation of women's work—casting light on the unseen, the veiled, and the marginalised.

Through their distinct practices, Richa and Deena interrogate the conditions of gendered labour and visibility. Richa’s work highlights the precarious existence of migrant women labourers in industrial spaces, where their contributions are not only invisible but devalued. By employing rusted metals, symbolic of neglect, and brass, a material of value, Richa draws attention to the dualities of labour and worth—invoking the tensions between the discarded and the precious.

Deena’s practice, conversely, critiques the veiling of women in both rural and ostensibly progressive contexts. Her exploration of the parda (veil) as both a physical barrier and a metaphor for societal restrictions subverts the gaze, revealing the suffocating realities faced by these women. By positioning the viewer behind the veil, Deena invites a reconsideration of historical and contemporary exclusions that continue to obscure women's contributions.

Together, the works of Richa and Deena critically engage with the broader discourse of visibility and erasure, offering a multi-layered investigation into the socio-political frameworks that govern women's labour, agency, and identity. Their practices not only reveal the systemic marginalisation of women but also challenge the viewer to reimagine the boundaries between the seen and the unseen, the valued and the overlooked.

Text by - Priya Chauhan | Shreya Sharma