A reckoning spurred by Hema Committee report

The hum gradually becomes a murmur that swells with the voices of women—working, creating, and resisting. This is the atmosphere at The Neighbour Gallery, a new space in the capital city envisioned by artists Joe Paul Cyriac and Valentina Abenavoli. The gallery opened with an exhibition that reflects its mission: exploring the power of shared spaces where gathering fosters care, nurtures creativity, and challenges societal norms.

- PARVANA K B

"TO fathers born alongside the sun, To fathers! To mothers who cradled the earth, in their wombs, To mothers! Here she comes, with songs embroidered to the strings of her hair; Stories whispered by the wind in her ears, her steps awake the bones buried under the ground, Her shadow lights up the long nights of life. Bless her! Bless her! Bless her! Here she comes, carrying the past, present, future on her back. Bless her! Here she comes, from the soil wet by sweat and blood. Bless her! Here she comes, with spirit unbroken, a story yet to be told. Bless her! Bless every word, bless every step, bless every dream and hope. Bless her! Bless her! Bless her!"

The exhibition, titled