Since the start of human civilization, stories have brought humans together. They are records of our past, and their recounting allows us to relive moments that have long since passed. "Yet The River Still Flows" is a clay and marble structure that takes an old folktale from Punjab and reimagines it in the form of a vertical totem.
The project references the tragic tale of Sohni and Mahiwal, two lovers who lived on opposite sides of the River Chenab. The love between Sohni and Mahiwal blossoms in between secret visits, away from family and responsibilities. A river separates the two of them, as does their status in society and their families. The clay of Sohni’s pots keeps bringing them together, despite those obstacles, until eventually, that clay fails, and the two lovers are separated one final time, before being reunited in death.
The clay pieces in this project represent all the elements of the original folktale. They can tell the story but not preserve it forever. That task has fallen to us, the listeners and the storytellers. The marble sections are our grasp on these ancient stories; they hold it all together centuries after the lovers have been separated.
