The dance of the universal cycle of life is eternal, ever changing. Everything that come into being, one say melts back to where it came from and re-emerges in a new form to live through yet another cycle. We see a play of different energy forms which seem to pull the strings.. sometimes Shiva, sometimes Krishna.. the names change but the source in one.
MAA
(24×30 inch, acrylic on canvas)
Such a powerful word- MAA. Be it a little girl in a remote village of India or a powerful deity like Ganesha, we all feel the comfort and safety in our mother’s arms. Snuggled there, life seems to be a play of magical forces – full of love, joy and fun.
GANAPATI
(24×24 inch, acrylic on canvas)
The ever endearing form of Ganesha never fails to give rise to joy and belief that one is taken care of. He is the begining and he is the end….
JAI HANUMAN
(18×12 inch, acrylic on canvas)
A cute little representation of the son of the wind! Pavan putra hanuman. Inspired from a rock sculpture in Hampi, India.
BAHRANGBALI
(24×18 inch, acrylic on canvas)
My favourite deity. Always reminding me of the power within me. Always pushing me to test my limits.
PANCH-BHUTA
(36×60 inch, acrylic on canvas)
A tryptic in 5 parts, this was one of the most challenging paintings. Commissioned to me to create a painting which depicted the 5 elements or the panchbhuta, it was an exercise in itself to research the meaning, the significance and the prayers involved for the same.
I AM
(30×30 inch, watercolour, pen & pencil on paper)
I AM. In every little particle of this universe and in every form ever created. I am not an insignificant dot in this “Brahmand”. I stretch from the brimming edge of the skies to the bottomless oceans. I am the lotus for whom the sun shines and I am nature without which none can exist.
Anantha
(32×26 inch, watercolour, pen & pencil on paper)
Only Brahman is “Anantha”- eternal and infinite. As the ion of times dance by, what is today become history and tomorrow is springing up beneath our feet even as the moments slip by. The moment gone, the moment now and the moment to come all so transitory and yet so beautifully leaving a mark of their existence behind as they move on under the very watchful eye of the only permanent existence -The Brahman, the “Anantha”.
Akurath
(30×23 inch, watercolour, pen & pencil on paper)
The God of beginnings, the remover of obstacles, the Lord of all people – Ganesha or Akurath is seen here calmly travelling through the universe. His “Rath” or vehicle is “Aku”, the tenacious rat, symbolising his ability to overcome anything to get what he wants. I painted the lotuses to remind us that he leaves in his wake the scent of lotuses for all he loves and for those who love him in return.
Ikshana
(30×23 inch, watercolour, pen, pencil & chalk pastel on paper)
Ikshana, or eyes that see beyond what is obvious, that perceive the connections we cannot feel. I thought it was only too right to refer to the Buddha as Ikshana. His eyes look peacefully out at the world as the knower and the knowing. Totally unperturbed by the ways of the universe, his lotus like presence overflows with love and compassion.
Amanitvam
(29×17 inch, water Colour, pen, pencil & chalk pastel on paper)
A great man is always willing to be little – so says Ralph Waldo Emerson. The strongest of us can also be the most humble. To me, Amanitvam or Hanuman is the perfect model of humility and strength combined with unmatched loyalty, devotion and compassion. He is magnificent, can swallow the sun, is stronger than the mightiest. Here he stands praising the lord who has created the universe which swirls around him infinitely majestic!
THE DIVINE DANCE
(29.5×29.5 inch, watercolour, pen, pencil & chalk pastel on paper)
As per mythology, when the 3rd eye of Shiva opens, all hell breaks loose. I grew up with stories my father told about Shiva as the creator of all art forms, whether it be dance or music. The first sound of the universe emanated from him. It brought forth joyous colour and energy and that is what I have tried to capture in his soft form, gentle smile and graceful pose as he dances and the lotuses reaching out to him with their intense purity are bursting with colour and life.
VATAPATRASHAYI
(32×26 inch, watercolour, pen & pencil on paper)
The grand scale of creation is inconceivable to the human mind and yet it appears so simple for Little Krishna as he floats on the Banyan leaf sucking his toe. Known as Vatapatrashayi, he looks oblivious to the multiple galaxies constantly melting and emerging in the ever space. I was always fascinated with snakes and noticed that they are a constant feature in Hindu mythology, perhaps for their ability to shed skin and be symbolically “reborn”. The king all flowers which shines purity even when it emerges from the murky waters is the perfect seat for the Lord of creation – Brahma.
KAAL
(40×30 inch, watercolour, pen & pencil on paper)
“Kaal’ or Time – the word never fails to remind me of the fierce Kirtimukh that adorns the entrance of every temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The symbol celebrates the glory of the Lord while also signifying how birth of one life form is closely woven into the death of another. It is very similar in design as well as meaning to the sacred Egyptian Uroborus or Tail Eating Snake. It seemed incomplete until I surrounded it the whirling chakras around it to signify the infinitely growing expanse of the universe where there is a constant stream of creation and destruction.
GUANYIN
(watercolor, pen & pencil on paper) (Donated to DEBRA)
As a child, I would find myself enchantedly staring at the serene face of the Buddha with eyes full of wonder. The love and compassion in the enlightened one’s eyes tends to hypnotise and take away all our worries. I was introduced to Guanyin, the female depiction of the compassionate one, only after I moved to Singapore. She is shown here holding the healing potion that soothes the body and mind for all those who need it.
Anuradha Kabra 