Artist Annu Kalra uses images of gods and goddesses to describe creation, truth and beauty
It is one rare piece of art where lord Ganesha and Hanuman are presented together on the canvas to portray the harmony between two facets of human life — the urge for creation and the search for meaning. “While Ganesha, the elephant, is buoyant and prolific, Hanuman, the monkey, is vibrant and spirited. Ganesha is the deity of the Muladhara chakra — it is the base from which the three main psychic channels or nadis emerge. It is also believed that Muladhara is a subtle abode of the Ganapati. Hanuman is the deity of the Manipura chakra — the third chakra, it is also known as the place of resplendence.
This chakra is involved in self-esteem, warrior energy and the power of transformation. In the painting I have used the two gods to symbolise creation and quest of identity,” explains Annu Kalra. The artist’s works describe the play of cosmic energies around her. She uses the figures of gods and goddesses to delve deeper into the spiritual subjects. She looks beyond rituals, that mostly bind us, to explain our relationship with the surroundings and our inner self. Her works will be exhibited at Arpana Fine Arts Gallery under the title Aavirbhav, meaning manifestations. “The works present the manifestation of the divine cosmic energies,” she says.
Annu derives inspiration from the primordial universal force that resonates in every thought and every being in the world. Her works are a window to mystical cosmic beauty and unite the viewer with the universal consciousness. Her paintings are mainly interpretations of the divine and cosmic energies in the current context, like the Gaja lakshmi. “It affirms that every empowered woman is but a manifestation of lakshmi herself, a blessing not just of love, but also stability and insight. The reason to show Gaja lakshmi as a slim waisted, light eyed woman draped in a contemporary outfit is to shift the mindset from ‘seeing something holy in a particular form’ to seeing ‘all forms as holy’”, says Annu.
Her another painting, The Sema Dancers, presents the dervish dancers. The artist shares, “The soulful whirling of the mystic dervishes, manifests an all encompassing magnetic field of bliss, that absorbs all those touched by it, elevating them to the space of peaceful joy and tranquillity. The other work, Chinnamastika, showcases Goddess Kali. “It represents that once all fears, all desires are transcended, with her purpose complete, Ma Kali cuts off her own head in one final blow and everything merges back into her. Kali is life that feeds on life itself,” explains Annu.
She has used the Shiva linga as the symbol of truth, peace and beauty. “The Maha-linga Swarupa, towering over all, bears testimony to the eternal truth,” says Annu. Shiva Shakti presents consciousness, awareness and infinity. Annu says that most of the objects and figures that she presents on the canvas are those that she perceives during meditation. “I don’t choose my subjects, they choose me. Whatever comes to my mind during meditation, be it the though or the object, I try and present that on the canvas, sometimes through figures and at times in abstraction,” she shares.