Exodus of MigrantWorkers is a collage of separate small sketches of migrant workers leaving Mumbai in 2020 on a painted background of map of Mumbai and the skyscrapers of the city. While the fortunate like me could retreat in their houses/apartments during the lockdown, millions of the workers tried to return to their villages as there were no jobs and food for them in the city. Painting the migrants made me introspect and start painting a series on my personal migration story in context to the broader migration crisis in today’s world of xenophobia.
The painting will be up for view at Arc gallery and studios online “Voyage” Exhibition from Nov 19,2022 to Dec 17,2022.
Painting Inspired by Nostalgia of my mother reading us stories and then me trying to pass on the same stories to my children.
“Tell us a story,” comes the cry From little lips when nights are cold, And in the grate the flames leap high. “Tell us a tale of pirates bold, Or fairies hiding in the glen, Or of a ship that’s wrecked at sea.” … and there and then Gather the children round my knee.
I am often asked why the cow is considered holy to Hindus by so many of my non-Indian friends. Every time I try to explain , I end up with my own questions. The Hindu ethics are driven by the core concept of Ahimsa, non-violence towards all beings. Cattle is considered sacred in world religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism. Cow slaughter has been broadly opposed by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Zoroastrian, and Sikhs. Though not all Hindus follow Ahimsa, cows are still holy to them.
For the Indian Hindu, the cow has been Holy as far as the Chandogya Upanishad (~ 800 BCE). In ancient India cow veneration “probably originated from the pastoral Aryans” in the Vedic era. In rural India to a poor Indian farmer his cow was his wealth. She produces milk for his family and for him to sell. Gives birth to the male calf to plough his field and her dung was used as his fuel to light his kitchen fire and as a bonding agent to build his mud house. Like here in America, we fret if our pets fall sick – if a cow fell sick the farmer worried as it could ruin him if she died. Hindu Indians have worshiped their cows for centuries, fought for their cows, politicized cows. Modern movements dating back to the colonial era British India. The earliest such activism is traceable to Namdhari (Kooka) Sikhs of Punjab who opposed cow slaughter in the 1860s. The movement became popular in the 1880s and thereafter, attracting the support from the Arya Samaj founder Swami Dayananda Saraswati in the late 19th century, and from Mahatma Gandhi in the early 20th century. The reverence for the cow played a role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British. The cow protection was a symbol of animal rights and of non-violence against all life forms for Gandhi. Though cow protection movement gained broad support among many Indians it is opposed by Indian Muslims. In Modern India, this opposition is now being politicized, riots and hate crimes against Muslims. What am I getting at? Well vegetarian Indians have a point as ahimsa is their core ethics, the Muslims also have their point as they enjoy beef as rest of the western world.
Personally, being a Hindu Bengali I can not understand our holy cow philosophy where we enjoy our curried goat meat and fish so much. So why for us Holy Cow? Not Holy Goat, Sheep, Birds and Fish? Many Bengalis will say because of our worshiping Shakti. Maybe fish and birds are not as developed as mammals, take care of their young as long or as useful as the cow ? Maybe local rural economy and geographical terrain and rivers? Well, I do not know why this dichotomy exists in Bengalis.
What bothers me most is animal abuse in the farms whether in India, America, UK or New Zealand, whether it is cows, goat or sheep Specially the dairy farms are scary. The babies separated from the mothers, slaughter of male calves and kids in front of their mothers and siblings in some cases as they are the unnecessary byproduct for dairy farms. Like a selfish dairy consumer I wonder if there is way to have guiltless dairy, have more humane farms. Can humane sustainable small farms that exist today become mainstream? What is the price we are ready to pay for our milk? Cruelty? Becoming Vegan is a solution but what about the numerous farmers depending on the meat and dairy industry? They are already hurting. What about the animal rights? Maybe this complex issue has a simple elegant answer- or it’s a myth you cannot have your meat or milk and be humane too.
These sketches are of these beautiful creatures who give us food, strength, beauty, & happiness.
“One in three women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence. Violence against women and girls is a human rights violation. Early this year, the world became familiar with “shelter-in-place” orders, unprecedented measures adopted to keep us safe during the coronavirus pandemic. For countless women worldwide experiencing domestic violence, however, home is not a safe place. Abuse survivors suddenly found themselves shut in with their abusers. Forced coexistence, job loss, escalating stress and anxiety about the future has led to increased household tension, which turned many partners into abusers and exacerbated existing abuse. The Shadow Pandemic is growing amidst the COVID-19 crisis.”
Concept, background of Kali Painting. The squares opening, one square revolving around one point in motion represents the awakening of subconsciousness around a focus. One connects with the inner self, awakens to find the power, the Shakti within oneself and thus connects with ‘Adi Shakti’, the Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent Shakti (Primordial Inconceivable Energy). The darkness or blackness is the state of mind, the despondence, fear, bleeding pain and feeling of loss especially this year which is lightened by the awakening of the inner self to find Power Within.
Inspiration of the Painting
The painting is inspired by my Bengali Heritage. I grew up worshipping Ma Kali. Kali comes from the Sanskrit root word Kal which means time. There is nothing that escapes the all-consuming march of time. Mother Kali is the most misunderstood of the Hindu goddesses. The Encyclopedia Britannica is grossly mistaken in the following quote, “Major Hindu goddess whose iconography, cult, and mythology commonly associate her with death, sexuality, violence, and, paradoxically in some of her later historical appearances, motherly love.”
Kali is considered as “Adi Shakti” or “Adi Para Shakti” (i.e., Primordial Inconceivable Energy). On every plane of creation, Energy manifests itself in all forms of matter, energy flows from one form to another but not lost, the energy in the form of life within us is connected to the supreme energy Brahman. She is present in us and everything we see. Ma Kali is the Power that drives this world, the Infinite form of the Paraa Shakti. But Her true form is unknown, and beyond human understanding. She is Anaadi (with no beginning, no ending) and Nitya (forever).
These are paintings in which I tried to fuse the two styles I love to paint with geometric abstraction and figurative expressionism. I am expressing my emotions with geometric shapes and bold colors then superimposing and layering in figurative expressionism into the same painting to emphasize my feelings and moods.
Kali Painting
Concept, background of Kali Painting. The squares opening, one square revolving around one point in motion represents the awakening of subconsciousness around a focus. One connects with the inner self, awakens to find the power, the Shakti within oneself and thus connects with ‘Adi Shakti’, the Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent Shakti (Primordial Inconceivable Energy). The darkness or blackness is the state of mind, the despondence, fear, bleeding pain and feeling of loss especially this year which is lightened by the awakening of the inner self to find Power Within.
Shadow Pandemic
The dark black square and red rectangle express my state of mind and the pain with everything happening around us in the pandemic. The figurative depiction of the hand disrobing the woman represents the shaming and violence that happenings in Shadow Pandemic. The two paintings are some what related. The darkness and blood depict the pain and hopelessness of the current situations in this pandemic. But in the kali painting overcomes the fear and pain by finding the Power Within us.
Isolation
In the Isolation paintings the bold yellow color depicts the sunlight flooding in through the window representing hope and the blue is the darkness and isolation of being locked inside almost like a caged bird. The blue expresses again the despondence and hopelessness created by the pandemic. The yellow is the hope to overcome depression.
