Tejal Shah

Inspired by a classic F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, 'Sati Shaves Her Head' is a modern take on the classic fish out of water tale. Bored during one hot summer, sophisticated Nikki transforms her dopey Indian cousin, Sati, into a beauty. But when Sati becomes more popular and sought after than she, Nikki learns a valuable lesson.

A scene that’s at once seductive and repulsive, tender and obscene, aesthetically thrilling and grotesque. Surrounded by flowers, fruits, juices and other delicacies, Tejal Shah and Marylea Madiman, dressed in Indian traditional clothing, sit side by side. Shah remains passively seated while her partner brutally feeds her. The excessive eating creates an erotic tension and the interaction between the two blurs the line between sex and aggression. In a provocative way, the human condition, the relationship between violence and power, the body and identity are questioned.

A reflection on lesbian desire.