The bond between mother and daughter is one of deep love, devotion, and at times, unspoken tensions. The Unsevered Cord explores this intimate yet complicated relationship, portraying its beauty and burdens through the visual language of South Asian artistic traditions. Inspired by the rich, vibrant aesthetic of Pakistani truck art and Mughal-era motifs, this piece reflects the inextricable connection between generations of women. The entwined rose vines that envelop the figures symbolize the umbilical cord—an enduring tether that, though unseen, continues to bind mother and daughter beyond birth. The roses, with their delicate petals and sharp thorns, embody both the tenderness and pain embedded in this relationship. They speak to the duality of nurture and constraint, of love and unintentional harm. These vines are not merely organic forms but represent the transmission of intergenerational trauma, wounds, and projections, shaped by cultural and societal expectations of gender and duty. Encircling the composition, Urdu script repeatedly states, "mother and daughter" and "the umbilical cord was never cut." The mirrored placement of the text echoes how daughters inevitably reflect their mothers—carrying their wisdom, their resilience, but also their unhealed wounds. This repetition underscores the cyclical nature of generational experiences, where histories, roles, and expectations are both inherited and reimagined. Drawing upon South Asian artistic traditions, this work serves as both homage and critique. The Mughal-inspired figures root the piece in a shared cultural past, while the truck art aesthetic—a style known for its bold, almost overwhelming vibrancy—symbolizes the ways in which these relationships can be both overwhelming and deeply formative. Ultimately, The Unsevered Cord invites viewers to reflect on the beauty and complexity of mother-daughter ties. It is a recognition of the love that nourishes, the expectations that weigh, and the resilience that transforms.
The Unsevered Cord
By: Seemil Chaudhry
When they ask me 'how do you resemble your mother?'
My answer is:
My eyes are like my mother's,
tired and filled with tears.
My lips are like my mother's,
sealed shut to silence my pain.
My hair is like my mother's,
black like the wings of a crow wishing to fly free.
My skin is like my mother's,
soft yet covered in scars unseen.
My laughter is like my mother's,
for a moment it holds relief.
Pain, hope, fear, sadness, broken dreams, love and hate.
We are but two sides of one mirror,
A reflection of infliction,
by others and onto each other.
It is as if the umbilical cord was never cut.
غیر کٹی ہوئی نال جب وہ مجھ سے پوچھتے ہیں 'تم اپنی ماں سے کیسے مشابہ ہو؟' میرا جواب ہے: میری آنکھیں میری ماں جیسی ہیں تھکا ہوا اور آنسوؤں سے بھرا ہوا. میرے ہونٹ میری ماں کے جیسے ہیں میرے درد کو خاموش کرنے کے لئے بند کر دیا. میرے بال میری ماں کے جیسے ہیں کالے کوے کے پروں کی طرح آزاد اڑنے کی خواہش رکھتے ہیں۔ میری جلد میری ماں کی طرح ہے، نرم لیکن غیب کے نشانات میں ڈھکا ہوا ہے۔ میری ہنسی میری ماں کی طرح ہے ایک لمحے کے لیے اس سے سکون ملتا ہے۔ درد، امید، خوف، اداسی، ٹوٹے ہوئے خواب، محبت اور نفرت۔ ہم ایک آئینے کے دو رخ ہیں اس کا عکس جس کا ہم سامنا نہیں کر سکتے۔ گویا نال کبھی نہیں کٹی تھی۔
Seemil Chaudhry