Mumbai: A 42-year-old Indian origin photographer has brought her interdisciplinary photographic study ‘The Thousand Cuts’ to the forefront, shedding light on domestic abuse within the South Asian community.
About The Exhibition
Her exhibition, currently on display at the G5A Foundation in Mahalaxmi (W), features 17 art pieces that symbolically portray the cyclical nature of domestic violence. Sujata Setia, originally from India, draws from her personal experience, having witnessed her mother’s abuse from a young age. One of the key pieces, ‘Mitti Ke Daayre’ (Circles in Sand), is a striking self-portrait where Setia has carved rhythmic circular cuts into her own photograph, representing the wounds of abuse.
About The Exhibition's Theme
The exhibition’s theme derives from Lingchi, an ancient form of torture in Asia where victims endured countless small, nonfatal cuts, a metaphor for the emotional scars left by repeated abuse. Setia began photographing victims of domestic violence after her mother passed away in 2019. Through these portraits, she sought to address her own childhood trauma and to offer closure to others who had faced similar experiences.
“Being a portrait photographer for 10 years, it was still difficult for me to mask my subject’s identity. Since photography is a limiting art form I made multiple iteration of cuts on the printed pictures which reflects past trauma and the process of reclaiming power. The patterns that emerge on the portraits symbolise both submission and resistance, forming an internal dialogue for the survivor and a conversation with the viewer,” said Setia.
About 'Finding Me'
Another poignant piece, ‘Mujhse Mulaqat’ (Finding Me), displays Urdu words written in red on a photograph, symbolising a victim’s journey to self-discovery after escaping her abuser. The red ink becomes a metaphor for the hatred her husband harboured toward her, particularly for wearing her favorite color. The exhibition will run until Saturday, featuring an art therapy workshop on Thursday and a panel discussion on domestic abuse on Saturday.
