Suchitra Mattai’s kala pani (black water) depicts a woman dressed in a red sari superimposed over a vintage needlepoint of the sea. The woman is surrounded by glistening faux jewels. The phrase kala pani literally translates into black water. It is a term often used by practitioners of Hinduism to describe the taboo of traveling to foreign lands over the sea. When a believer commits the taboo of kala pani they are said to lose their varna; they become separated from their family, their traditions, and their participation in the reincarnation cycle. Kala pani was also the name of a notorious British prison that housed political prisoners of the colonial powers. The red sari worn by this woman is significant. Red is a symbolic color symbolizing courage, among other traits. Mattai is descended from South Asian women who made the passage across the sea to the Caribbean during the time of indentured servitude following the abolishment of slavery in the region. Mattai was born in Guyana and immigrated to the United States. Her work is about layering new narratives over old histories, and highlighting the superpowers of the women in her lineage. The woman in this work represents the courage to overcome religious and social prejudices, gender stereotypes, and generations of brutal and unfair labor practices.