Bodyscapes-XIV by Mohita Suri

Mohita Suri’s work is a deep exploration of the female form—its texture, tonal variations, and the subtle imprints left by time, touch, and societal expectation. Having spent her early years as a teenage model and later managing a chain of gyms, she developed a heightened sensitivity to the body—both in its natural state and as something shaped, controlled, and often restricted. This awareness translates into her paintings, where she captures the traces left behind by tight garments, the soft indentations of a bra strap, the pressure marks of a waistband, or even the imprint of a wedding ring. These marks serve as quiet reminders of the constraints—both literal and symbolic—that women navigate daily. Her work does not seek to sensationalize the body but rather to honor it, depicting it in a way that is sensuous yet never vulgar, challenging both societal and self-imposed limitations.

In her more recent works, the female form evolves beyond representation, becoming a metaphorical landscape. The curves of a hip resemble rolling hills, the softness of a belly forms gentle slopes, and parted lips evoke the opening of a spring. The body is no longer just a subject but an extension of nature itself, shaped by invisible forces much like valleys, rivers, and mountains are carved by time. Through this fusion of the human and the elemental, she reclaims the body as something organic, fluid, and unconfined—free from the rigid structures imposed upon it. In this way, her paintings offer a quiet yet powerful reimagining of the female experience, one that embraces both its vulnerability and its resilience.

Mohita's works are on view at Method Delhi as part of Fresh Produce, curated by Anica Mann.

This artwork was exhibited at Method Delhi in the group exhibition "Fresh Produce" (January 2025).