Maa Chitrakrom- Sahachari (সহচরী)

Confidante

The third artwork in Maa Chitrakrom marks an emotional shift within the series.

Across many Bengali folk artworks, from Tenpa Putul to paintings such as Ganesh Janani, motherhood is often represented through the recurring image of mother and son. Even in songs and poems, portrayals of mothers and daughters only appear within the emotional framework of marriage, separation, and reunion.

We encounter stories of daughters leaving for their marital homes, mothers waiting for their daughters to return, or devotional narratives surrounding goddesses and maternal longing.

But I rarely came across visual portrayals of the years when a daughter is simply growing up beside her mother.

Through Sahachari, I wanted to explore that overlooked emotional space.

The artwork portrays the daughter standing close to her mother, leaning toward her ear while both look toward one another. The physical closeness reflects emotional trust and companionship.

The title Sahachari translates to “confidante” or “companion.” Here, the mother becomes the girl child’s first safe space for sharing emotions, fears, questions, bodily changes, embarrassment, excitement, and secrets.

At the same time, the mother also carries memories of her own girlhood, stories, experiences, humor, and quiet lessons passed down through intimate conversation.

Between them exists a private emotional language shaped through growing up together.

With this piece, the series gradually moves from physical caregiving toward emotional companionship and the visibility of girlhood within folk-inspired visual storytelling.

Developmental Sketches