I hail from Tamil Nadu, the southern state of India. My academic background in theoretical physics encouraged me to delve into the microscopic concepts of nature, deepening my inclination toward spirituality. My traditional art practice allows me to see the work of science, in theory, the innate sacredness in every action, and the divinity in the beauty of creation.
In the spiritual path of Bhakti (devotion), Namasmaran (repeating the name of the Lord) is a practice that keeps us tied to the Supreme conscience. Working with ceramics reminds me of Gora Khumbar (13th-century saint), a potter devotee of the Lord Vittala (a form of Krishna), who would stamp clay by chanting the name of the Lord incessantly. The medium of clay guides one internally into the Spiritual realm due to its primordial elemental quality. While working with glass, I am inspired to see Form through Light. The inherent philosophy of light emanating from darkness can be seen and experienced in this practice. Indian miniature painting, on the other hand, resonates with me due to the practice of lines, forms, and intricate details in repetition.
My work broadly focuses on these three media: ceramics, stained glass, and miniature paintings to learn, realise and grow from within. All these media employ the practice of repetition, be it the repetition of processes or patterns.
Back home, drawing Kolam – the traditional floor diagrams was my first seed of art practice and creativity. Kolam is an art form that involves the rhythmic repetition of sacred geometrical patterns, drawn with rice flour pinched through fingers onto the floor, especially at the threshold of the house and altar, as an offering to the Divine. I present two encaustic tile pieces representing the profound beauty of these sacred Kolam patterns.
Anklets of Krishna follows the theory of fractals – repetition of self-similar patterns. The verse “anoraniyana mahato mahiyana” (God is smaller than the smallest and greater than the greatest) from Purandaradasar’s krithi (15th-century Bhakti poet’s song Jagadodharana) resonated with this concept. Whether vast or tiny, everything comes from the same Divine source, indicating the Supreme’s omnipresence.
Shatkona is a six-pointed star signifying the union of male and female energy represented by the upward and downward-facing triangles. The individual triangular tiles contain a Kolam pattern known as Saraswati (Goddess of art) yantra, which follows the theory of iteration, representing the seven strings of her Divine instrument.
Divine Love in Light is an Indian miniature-style stained-glass panel inspired by a Siyah Qalam (pen and ink drawing) Indian miniature painting of Radha Krishna (c. 1800). The figures were inspired by studying medieval stained glass faces and shaded using different miniature forms to represent water, grass, flowers, trees, and leaves. The carefully designed border with lotus flowers and leaves is a heartfelt offering to the Divine.
Throughout the creating journey, the aspect of surrender, with the realisation that we are mere instruments in the hands of the Divine, has been a constant reminder to reflect upon His work and feel grateful to be a micro part of His infinite play.
I hail from Tamil Nadu, the southern state of India. My academic background in theoretical physics encouraged me to delve into the microscopic concepts of nature, deepening my inclination toward spirituality. My traditional art practice allows me to see the work of science, in theory, the innate sacredness in every action, and the divinity in the beauty of creation.
In the spiritual path of Bhakti (devotion), Namasmaran (repeating the name of the Lord) is a practice that keeps us tied to the Supreme conscience. Working with ceramics reminds me of Gora Khumbar (13th-century saint), a potter devotee of the Lord Vittala (a form of Krishna), who would stamp clay by chanting the name of the Lord incessantly. The medium of clay guides one internally into the Spiritual realm due to its primordial elemental quality. While working with glass, I am inspired to see Form through Light. The inherent philosophy of light emanating from darkness can be seen and experienced in this practice. Indian miniature painting, on the other hand, resonates with me due to the practice of lines, forms, and intricate details in repetition.
My work broadly focuses on these three media: ceramics, stained glass, and miniature paintings to learn, realise and grow from within. All these media employ the practice of repetition, be it the repetition of processes or patterns.
Back home, drawing Kolam – the traditional floor diagrams was my first seed of art practice and creativity. Kolam is an art form that involves the rhythmic repetition of sacred geometrical patterns, drawn with rice flour pinched through fingers onto the floor, especially at the threshold of the house and altar, as an offering to the Divine. I present two encaustic tile pieces representing the profound beauty of these sacred Kolam patterns.
Anklets of Krishna follows the theory of fractals – repetition of self-similar patterns. The verse “anoraniyana mahato mahiyana” (God is smaller than the smallest and greater than the greatest) from Purandaradasar’s krithi (15th-century Bhakti poet’s song Jagadodharana) resonated with this concept. Whether vast or tiny, everything comes from the same Divine source, indicating the Supreme’s omnipresence.
Shatkona is a six-pointed star signifying the union of male and female energy represented by the upward and downward-facing triangles. The individual triangular tiles contain a Kolam pattern known as Saraswati (Goddess of art) yantra, which follows the theory of iteration, representing the seven strings of her Divine instrument.
Divine Love in Light is an Indian miniature-style stained-glass panel inspired by a Siyah Qalam (pen and ink drawing) Indian miniature painting of Radha Krishna (c. 1800). The figures were inspired by studying medieval stained glass faces and shaded using different miniature forms to represent water, grass, flowers, trees, and leaves. The carefully designed border with lotus flowers and leaves is a heartfelt offering to the Divine.
Throughout the creating journey, the aspect of surrender, with the realisation that we are mere instruments in the hands of the Divine, has been a constant reminder to reflect upon His work and feel grateful to be a micro part of His infinite play.