sisnu
Artist Soyeohang Rai navigates the complexities of identity, land, migration, and gender through a deeply personal journey to Nepal—the land of his ancestors. There, he confronts the rigid expectations of masculinity imposed upon him. This pivotal moment sparks an unexpected transformation, leading him to reclaim his own connection to the mountainous terrain.
Drawing strength from maruni, a ritualistic dance form practiced by tribes of the Himalayan Belt and the Nepali diaspora, Rai embraces the feminine within himself—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Through adornment and movement, the maruni emerges, asserting its presence within him like the red hibiscus of his village, vibrant and undeniable. While the flower’s deep hues captivate, its lush foliage remains overlooked—just as the maruni arrives, departs, and returns, offering Rai an enduring sense of inheritance, autonomy, and resilience.
“After being impolitely denied my ancestral land, I felt there was no longer a need to be granted access to a gift that was never taken from me.”
In Nepali culture, Sisnu Pani—the practice of punishing miscreants with lashes of stinging nettle (sisnu)—serves as a harsh reminder of discipline and rejection. Yet, like the nettle, Rai’s journey is one of endurance and reclamation, turning pain into power, and exile into belonging.
Language: English
Format: Hardcover | 20 pages
Dimensions: 170 x 120mm | 105g
Publication Year: 2023
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