Shweta Bist
Cleaning (Sh!t I Do) ,2024
Sublimation Print on Satin and Glace
39 x 57 inches
1 of 1 + 1 AP
 
The Buddha left his wife and their day-old son to meditate in isolation for several years in pursuit of a ‚ higher calling. He returned famously enlightened, while Yashodhara's story was obscured from view. Cleaning subverts this tension between apparent heroism and the unseen labor that supports it. I stare out of the frame beside a resting Buddha, wielding a vacuum, insisting on being seen. I draw lace on my outfit, inspired by textiles from my past, honoring the labor of the women who came before me. Gold lace frames the piece, reflecting gold's role as social security for these women.