Memories of a childhood VIII
“In the life of everyone there is a limited number of experiences which are not written upon the memory, but stamped there with a die; and in the long years after, they can be called up in detail, and every emotion that was stirred by them can be lived through anew.”  ― JW Johnson, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

Acrylic on canvas 36" X 48"
Acquired via Gallerie Nvyā

Weathering the Storm

What world lies beyond that stormy sea I do not know, but every ocean has a distant shore, and I shall reach it. - Cesare Pavese

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Acrylic on canvas (48" X 20")
Status: Available via Gallerie Artistique, The Oberoi, Gurgaon 
Series: Miscellaneous works

The Harmony of Season's II
The work was inspired one lazy  afternoon in the  spring of Northern India. The flowering Mango tree outside the window was magical and captivating bringing the promise of the fruit, a food of the Gods . In such testing times, the Artist considers this work as  a talisman for  good news coming, a sign that things will go well in  life, and that one remain satisfied and happy. It also signifies the yearning for the joy of sheer freedom as depicted by the parrot in flight into the cool Indian summer night. Almost  mystical the tree is considered to be the symbol of love, wealth, fertility and even immortality. So great is the belief of the tree being auspicious that the leaves of Mango trees are used in Hindu wedding ceremonies in order to ensure a fertile union. The fruit of the tree appearing in a dream is believed, by some, to signify the arrival of  long awaited good news.

Acrylic on canvas (36" X 36")
Status: Acquired

Dhyana XI

In the work, the artist depicts the swirling random movement of the mind and uncontrolled circumstances that surround us, every moment, often dictating our actions. Thus we react to all that we are surrounded by and enveloped in. The monk is also therefore in a similar situation but appears to emerge out of it, retaining his serenity which is reflected by his posture. This retention of calmness in a tumultuous environment is achieved through Dhyana, the practice of mind control by which we stop all thinking and seek to realize Truth in its essence. Of the many different paths to Nirvana, the most important one  is the path of Dhyana, the practice of “stopping and realizing.”

Acrylic on canvas 48" X 48"
Status: Acquired

Memories of a childhood V
“In the life of everyone there is a limited number of experiences which are not written upon the memory, but stamped there with a die; and in the long years after, they can be called up in detail, and every emotion that was stirred by them can be lived through anew.” 
― JW Johnson, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

Acrylic on canvas 60" X 18"
Status: Available 

Memories of a childhood VI
“In the life of everyone there is a limited number of experiences which are not written upon the memory, but stamped there with a die; and in the long years after, they can be called up in detail, and every emotion that was stirred by them can be lived through anew.” ― JW Johnson, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

Acrylic on canvas 60" X 18"
Status: Available

Trisul IV
Inspired by a visit to the cantonment mountain town of Ranikhet and the outstanding view of Trisul, a group of three Himalayan mountain peaks of western Kumaun, with the highest (Trisul I) reaching 7120 m. The three peaks resemble a trident or  in Sanskrit, Trishula- being the weapon  used by Lord Shiva to protect himself and his devotees from evil.

Acrylic on canvas (48" x 36")
Status: Available

Kashi X

Varanasi derives its name from the two rivers that flank the city, the Varuna to the north and the Asi to the south. However, pilgrims refer to it as Kashi, first used three thousand years ago to describe the kingdom and the city outside which the Buddha preached his first sermon; the "City of Light" is also called Kashika, "the shining one", referring to the light of Shiva. Another epithet, Avimukta, meaning "Never Forsaken", refers to the city that Shiva never deserted. Also referred to as Rudravasa, the place where Shiva (Rudra) resides, Kashi's associations with Shiva extend to the beginning of time: legends relate how, after his marriage to Parvati, Shiva left his Himalyan abode and came to reside in Kashi with all the Gods in attendance. Temporarily banished during the rule of the great king Divodasa, Shiva ultimately returned to his rightful abode protected by his loyal attendants Kalabhairav and Dandapani. Over 350 gods and goddesses, including a protective ring of Ganeshaa form a mandala or sacred pattern with Shiva Vishwanatha at its centre.

Acrylic on canvas (36" X 48")

Status: Available

Stillness

The artist seeks stillness in this time, of constant  shift and instant change, of desires converting to  needs and of greed being the Driving force of a life in turmoil where each moment slips into decay  before the next unknown  presents  itself.
"Stillness"...... That moment of unchanging. It is that pause before the first brush stroke of the painter,  that moment when  the writer's pen hovers over paper , that silence between  two musical notes, and indeed that pause between two breaths, between inhaling and exhaling. It is that brief fleeting moment which is  all around us at all levels, for us to seek.

Acrylic on canvas | 48" X 36"
Available 

Divine Resonance - The Tibetan prayer bell II

A series in progress, depicted here by the Tibetan Prayer bell that seems to resonate deep into the dark spaces of the mind and indeed the significant void of space itself... ushering a sense of peace and spirituality

Acrylic on canvas 50" X 18"
Status: Available

The Walled City II

Walled cities are fascinating. around the world the fortifications are formidable and within lie the wonders of art and commerce, of administration and justice. The walls protect all the beauty that is within from marauders ,and hence need to be strong. much like ourselves who must develop strong walls of self control, physical and spiritual strength to safe guard all that is sacred within us from disruptive influences of negativity, intolerance, anger and greed.  

To quote from the Bible: A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. (Prov. 25:28) This biblical metaphor, if read and understood speaks about ourselves and our Creator. Our Spirit Is the City Wall and a broken spirit, like a broken city wall, is dangerous.

Acrylic on canvas 60" X 18" 
Status: Available

The Walled City I

Walled cities are fascinating. around the world the fortifications are formidable and within lie the wonders of art and commerce, of administration and justice .

The walls protect all the beauty that is within from marauders ,and hence need to be strong. much like ourselves who must develop strong walls of self control, physical and spiritual strength to safe guard all that is sacred within us from disruptive influences of negativity,intolerance,anger and greed. 

To quote from the Bible: A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. (Prov. 25:28) This biblical metaphor, if read and understood speaks about ourselves and our Creator. Our Spirit Is the City Wall and a broken spirit, like a broken city wall, is dangerous.

Acrylic on canvas 50" X 18"

Status: Unavailable

Prathamaja - The First Born II
First- borns hold a very special position even though the parents love all their children equally.

It's the wonder of the first-born where the mother for the first time in her life watches her body change, it is the first heart that she creates and the first heart beat that she hears

She learns so much from her first born through whom she embarks on a journey of discovery. She uncovers her strengths and also weaknesses, She develops a confidence to be a caretaker, to be a mother. The bond with her first born can never be challenged or displaced.

For the Father life changes. For the first time there is a realisation of responsibilities. There is excitement and a love never experienced before as he cradles the new born,hears the first sounds,  as he watches his first born grow up,  and assumes the role of friend ,philosopher and guide.

Acrylic on canvas 48 X 36

Status: Acquired via Gallerie Artistique, The Oberoi

Series: Miscellaneous works

 

Prathamaja - The First Born

First- borns hold a very special position even though the parents love all their children equally.

It's the wonder of the first-born where the mother for the first time in her life watches her body change, it is the first heart that she creates and the first heart beat that she hears

She learns so much from her first born through whom she embarks on a journey of discovery. She uncovers her strengths and also weaknesses, She develops a confidence to be a caretaker, to be a mother. The bond with her first born can never be challenged or displaced.

For the Father life changes. For the first time there is a realisation of responsibilities. There is excitement and a love never experienced before as he cradles the new born,hears the first sounds,  as he watches his first born grow up,  and assumes the role of friend ,philosopher and guide.

Acrylic on canvas 48 X 36

Status: Acquired

Series: Miscellaneous works

The Lotus Buddha V
The painting depicts the meditation Buddha or the Lotus Buddha as Buddha in this position resembles a lotus flower. The lotus besides being a symbol of purity was also the symbolic vehicle that led the Buddha to Nirvana. The Lotus Buddha has the hands resting gently on the lap while the legs are crossed. This position is commonly used for meditation and is known as the lotus position. The lotus flower is rich with symbolic meaning in Buddhism. It is a symbol of Bodhi, a state of spiritual perfection and complete mental purity, the pacification of our base nature. 

Acrylic on canvas 50"X 18"
Status: Available via Gallerie Artistique, The Oberoi

A Time To Reflect

Though tea in itself  as a beverage has proven health benefits, to the artist it is the ritual of  "sitting down to tea" which has great significance. The very act of drinking  tea on one's own has  meditative implications. With friends, it is the very joy of life and at the center of socializing. On a rainy, cold day the act evokes nostalgia of a childhood  in the hills, and in a negotiation, it is the bridge to a mutually  beneficial  arrangement. 

Numerous scholars state that it holds significance when examining the notion of purity. Murata Shuko, a priest in the 14th century propounded that four values were central to the concept of the tea ritual: reverence, respect, purity, and tranquility.

Acrylic on canvas 36 X 36
Status: Available

 

 

Benevolence - Goddess Taradevi

A work inspired by the words "This is the promise of love; there shall be seasons refreshing, sent from the Saviour above, over the hills and the valleys, sound of abundance of rain", from the hymn ‘There shall be a shower of blessings’, and Tara Devi, the Buddhist 'saviour-goddess' especially popular in Tibet, Japan, Nepal and Mongolia.

The artist has attempted to translate the hymn on canvas. The saviour, goddess of universal compassion, stands central as she summons the clouds above to shower blessings of longevity, so we may be protected in our spiritual journey to enlightenment. The lotus symbolises the belief that - when the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara wept as he looked upon the world of suffering beings, his tears formed a lake in which a lotus blossomed, and within it, the goddess Tara was revealed.

Acrylic and pen on canvas 36" X 48" 
Status: Available / DDN
Series: Miscellaneous works