Gul e Baharaa by Lakhi Soni

‘ghul e bahara’, 3x4 ft, acrylic on canvas

Gul e Baharaa ("Flowers of Spring") is a 3 x 4 ft celebration of femininity, selfhood, and interconnectedness, deeply rooted in the earthy palette and stylisation of Rajasthani art. At its heart, a nude woman stands in tranquil contemplation, cradling a hibiscus flower—a symbol of fleeting beauty and self-love. Her gaze, tender and introspective, challenges societal objectification, reframing nudity as a quiet act of radical authenticity. To her bottom left and top right, two women mirror her presence. Their silent, knowing glances—neither competitive nor judgmental—embody a communal feminine bond, a sisterhood that transcends words.
Hibiscus blossoms, vibrant and delicate, crown all three figures, tying their humanity to nature’s cycles of renewal and resilience. The flowers’ ephemeral glow contrasts with the women’s grounded stances, suggesting that love—for oneself, for others—is both fragile and enduring. The backdrop of warm light pink grounds the piece in its earthiness and light-heartedness.

Created on Valentine’s Day, the piece subverts commercialised romance, instead framing love as a universal force: the quiet courage of vulnerability, the solidarity of mutual witnessing, and the nourishment of self-regard. The women’s nudity, naturalised rather than sexualised, becomes a metaphor for emotional exposure—strength found in unguarded truth.

About the artist //

Lakhi Soni is a multidisciplinary visual artist, illustrator, and animator whose work illuminates the sacred interplay of femininity, spirituality, and the human body. Rooted in the vibrant traditions of Rajasthani art, where she is from, her practice reimagines folk motifs through a contemporary lens, weaving intricate patterns and earthy palettes into narratives that celebrate women’s resilience, interconnectedness, and unapologetic authenticity. The female form serves as a vessel of natural beauty and radical selfhood. Soni’s creations invite viewers to confront cultural narratives around femininity and spirituality. Her animations and illustrations further amplify these explorations, merging movement and metaphor to evoke the sacred in the mundane.
Through her art, she aspires to cultivate spaces where vulnerability is celebrated, bodies are honored as sites of wisdom, and spirituality is found in the unguarded truth of being.