“When women become patrons of art and architecture, they call into question and challenge the prevailing notions of their passivity.”

Purnima Mehta in ‘Her Space, Her Story’

The Vav Columns consider the architectural history of Gujarat, the concentration of stepwells in the state, and records of female patronage linked to them. “What was even more intriguing as that of the several hundred stepwells that have been excavated, around 25 per cent were actually built by women- queens, royalty, wives of rich merchants, ordinary women, courtesans and servant girls– who hoped to gain religious merit and possibly immortality through the gift of water.” Mehta's quote goes on to speak about the myth of women being silent spectators of history, proving to be active participants. 

This work features columns from Rani Ka Vav, Adalaj ni Vav, Dada Harir, and the dilapidated Vaikaya Vav. The works plays with repetition, glitch, opacity, and pixelation, using fabric to explore the malleability of image and history. It engages with the space, the wind, and the transient presence of bodies, reflecting on fleeting and forgotten aspects of history. Questioning what these columns truly support and represent beyond their structural roles.

This was created as a part of ‘[Tender buttons, and another] Bellyache’ curated by Shristi Sainani at Conflictorium, Ahmedabad.