“I turn my head in the back seat of the car. The rear window frames Sivagami. For the first time I see her cry. This is my last memory of her. It is black and white, but I can’t find the picture.” (from the book) Searching for Sivagami, Kult books, 2024)
This book is a search for traces of a relationship. Built on memories, from a time when I had braids. A morning routine with Sivagami. A silent language of care and connection. Braiding hair is a form of community that exists all over the world. This.
Hannah Modigh returns to southern India after thirty years to search for Sivagami, the woman who took care of her and her sisters when they were children. She wanders the places where Sivagami may have been and she walks around the area where she used to live. She goes to temples and beaches they visited together. She searches for Sivagami's face in other women she meets, she searches for a reflection of herself. It is a memory, a dream and a reality that she sees, but above all her camera gaze falls on the sisterhood, a recognition for comfort and support.
Sivagami sits on the platform along the railway track. She talks to two other women who also sit on the ground. Helena lies across her lap, sleeping. The sun is hot and there are lots of shadows around her, from people standing. (from the book) Album picture description Searching for Sivagami, Kult books, 2024)
