Lahni Thavarajah

Veiled Veneration

The inspiration for my current practice is rooted in archival footage and cherished photos that capture my mothers Hindu nuptials. Veiled Veneration represents a deeply personal odyssey, and extended exploration into the realms of femininity that are often overlooked, an ode to the unsung heroines in our lives.

Veils that traditionally represent modesty and purity, have been reimagined in the tapestry of Veiled Veneration. This delicate material gracefully envelops the canvas emulating an altar. The painting, a captured moment in time, my mother seated in a car on her wedding day. This image encapsulates the profound simplicity of life, a moment poignant with emotion.

The unfinished quality of the mother figure in the painting is pivotal to its narrative. This intentional 'incompletion' strives to etch her presence into the viewer's consciousness. It compels one to seek and identify her beyond the physical realm, an embodiment of the ongoing, unceasing journey of womanhood. Veiled Veneration is intended as a tribute, not just to the extraordinary but to the often forgotten and gloriously ordinary moments of women.