Vidhi Jakhodia, Soft Power, Strong Design. Mixed media. Woxsen University, India, 2026.
Project Statement
Soft Power, Strong Design explores how quiet emotions can hold immense strength. This zine is a personal reflection on the way society reacts to women who choose to exist freely, speak openly, or step outside expectations.
The cigarette in the visuals is not the focus of the work, but a symbol of the judgments placed on women’s choices and identity. What may be dismissed as a small act often becomes a reason to question a woman’s character, freedom, or voice. Through poetry and visual storytelling, the zine shifts the conversation away from the act itself and toward the mindset behind those reactions.
As someone deeply connected to Indian culture and its social realities, I chose Hindi as the primary language for the poems. Writing in Hindi allowed the emotions and frustrations within the work to feel more honest, immediate, and rooted in lived experience. The language carries a certain intimacy and cultural weight that became essential to communicating the message authentically.
The typography and layouts are intentionally expressive and sometimes uncomfortable, reflecting the tension between silence and resistance. The work moves between vulnerability and confrontation, mirroring the emotional experience of constantly being perceived, judged, and defined by others.
At its core, this project is about reclaiming softness as strength. It views emotion, poetry, and personal expression not as weakness, but as powerful tools capable of questioning social norms and creating dialogue.
