Posted on 17 October 2025:
Shakti: Celebrating the Resilience of Defence Women at Bikaner House
A TRIBUTE TO COURAGE, CREATIVITY AND QUIET STRENGTH
From 24–29 October 2025 (11 am to 7 pm), the Living Tradition Centre at Bikaner House, New Delhi, will host a powerful exhibition titled Shakti: The Art of Resilience.
Presented by the Kian Foundation and conceptualised by Siddhartha and Aarti Naik, this initiative shines a light on the remarkable women connected to India’s defence community—the mothers, daughters and wives whose stories often remain untold.
Shakti is not just an art show—it is a heartfelt movement. Through paintings, installations and creative expressions, the exhibition honors the silent strength of women who stand behind the uniform. After touching hearts in Pune and Goa, Shakti now arrives in the capital, offering a space where art meets purpose, and where social impact blends with cultural celebration.
“Delhi is where Shakti belongs. We are honoured to partner with AWWA to ensure that our admiration translates into tangible opportunities for women connected to the defence forces.”– Siddhartha Naik.
“Art has the power to create empathy and action. Shakti is our way of honouring resilience while building long-term support.”–Aarti Naik
This edition also marks a historic moment: Kian Foundation will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA). Through this partnership, the exhibition’s proceeds—after artist payments and operational costs—will support war widows, women living with disabled or amputee ex-servicemen and those pursuing education and career growth within defence families.
Shakti: The Art of Resilience is a call to recognise, respect and uplift the women who carry the legacy of service with grace and grit.
Shakti: A Canvas of Courage and Creative Power
At the heart of Shakti: The Art of Resilience lies a constellation of artistic brilliance. The exhibition brings together a diverse and celebrated line-up of artists whose works speak of strength, spirit and transformation.
From the evocative installations of Subodh Kerkar to the soulful strokes of Milind Mulick, each artist adds a unique voice to this collective tribute. The roster includes Sudharak Olwe, Vijender Sharma, Nilesh Vede, Niranjan Jonnalagadda, Prakash Bal Joshi, Late Pratap Mulick, Shampa Sircar Das, Vipta Kapadia, Meera George, Vivek Nimbolkar, Ajit Deswandikar, Nilisha Phad, Ketaki Pimpalkhare, Dinkar Jadhav, Shrikant Kadam, Satyajeet Varekar, Rashmi Khurana and Sukesan Kanka—each one contributing to the spirit of Shakti with depth and distinction.
Among these voices, Padma Shri Sudharak Olwe’s lens captures a moment that transcends time. In his photograph, a lavani dancer stands bathed in magenta light—her presence fierce yet graceful, her silence louder than words. She is not merely performing; she is proclaiming. Her raised hand speaks of memory and resistance, while the other rests in quiet strength. She becomes Shakti—creator, nurturer and transformer.
This image is not just art—it is a reflection of every woman who has endured invisibility and emerged radiant. It honours the dancer once dismissed, the worker unheard, the mother overlooked, and the girl daring to speak. Through her, they all rise. Her gaze cuts through illusion, her stance defies erasure. She is the embodiment of resilience wrapped in tradition.
Shakti reminds us that power can be gentle, that strength can wear silk, and that resistance can be graceful. It teaches that dignity is not loud—it is unwavering.
In dedicating this exhibition to her, Kian Foundation celebrates every woman who has turned hardship into harmony, silence into song and survival into art.
Sudharak Olwe’s photography stands as a beacon—a tribute to the enduring pulse of womanhood and the transformative power of art.
