Portfolio 2010

 In India we are surrounded by mythology. Mythological stories shape our daily life, our language and even moral values. Each of my paintings in this portfolio has its root in either a story told by oral traditions or it is a slight glimpse of a well-known epic. The eternal story of mother goddess is one of the recurring themes. Durga is a popular Goddess who killed the demon Mahishasur single-handedly. In my paintings she comes mostly as a raw female power fighting the demon alone. But she could also be any woman you know fighting her own struggle, sometimes jubilant sometimes disheartened. Her stories are related to basic human concerns like good and evil, victory and defeat, downfall and redemption. But they are also about all the things in between these extremes. They are about ambiguity. 

This work reflects moments and memories from India reawakening inside me as well as my interpretation of modern life that comes from living intentionally each day. The inspiration behind it is Indian miniature paintings that makes paper and gouache my natural choice as a support and medium for the series.I have experimented with silkscreen prints with gouache to get flat pigmented areas of even colors. 

Never Lose Sight of Power’s Contours

I explore power exercised by people, organizations and nations to drive their intended results. I use the chair as a symbol of power and various different imagery from my everyday life and my cultural background. Power is something abstract and complex. Seduction, violence, attraction, fear, admiration, beauty are some of the things that come to mind when talking of power. I use layered imagery to depict its varied and complex aspects. Narratives are important to me in my visual investigation. I use myths and frame story format as other means of this exploration that come from my cultural background growing up in India.