Untitled 

This untitled work by Sonaly Gandhi presents us with striking symbols, primarily the chessboard motif integrated into the figure of a reclining woman. This pattern has long represented duality, strategy, and the game of life itself, a theme resonating through various epochs. We see echoes of this in medieval allegories, where life is depicted as a chess game between good and evil. Here, the chessboard visually dissects the figure, suggesting a fragmented psyche or a life perceived as a series of calculated moves. Consider how this symbol has evolved; from ancient board games used for divination to its modern association with complex decision-making, the checkered pattern evokes a sense of fate and control, often intertwined. This image stirs a potent emotional response, a tension between vulnerability and calculation. The stark colors and fragmented form may tap into our collective anxieties about identity and the choices we make. The chessboard, like the images it inspires, resurfaces through time, each appearance layering new strata of meaning onto its enduring form.