Posts

If it matters

To experience the season that is passing through…is the only choice a tree has. For it's not the tree but the principles laid by mother (nature) that decide what the skies, the wind, the land will offer to its existence. While the tree engages in the dialogue with the passing season, and the transformation that takes place, happens as a response to the process it is going through. The clouds that cross the forest rain, the wind blows- as a breeze or as thunder, the cold, the sunshine…all part of the process. The process one’s existence is bound to follow as soon as the life in matter begins. For it's not the being in the matter (the tree) that decides what season it will experience…and how they transform it?  But it is for the cosmos to decide…(as if one life in matter matters that much?)  

The state of containment

T he surreal feel of Corona times- the social isolation and getting used to the new ‘normal'. Still holding strong to what I call- my own sense of wonderment (not forgetting to enjoy the existence), while struggling with various shades passing through the landscape and mindscape within the space of my physical existence (body). Thankfully Bhagwad Geeta holding my hand and through this ancient text, from time to time I get insights that remind me to surrender to the flow of life and not losing faith. One such insight while I was scrolling some terms was the word- ‘ Samya ’ which means the state of containment. All that I think of creating, all that I think of manifesting holds a space in my heart. and all this, while it remains unmanifested, is contained inside. While I wait for all of it to come into manifestation. And what makes me believe in the manifestation of my vision is, I being an artist who is not inspired by imaginary things but real life. The matter and the soul of mat

Unlabelling

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My research about exploring the idea of ‘self’ has given me some new insights; the reading on Gyaneshwari (Bhagwad Geeta) explores the idea from the spiritual perspective and that means we have to go into abstraction—from form to formless. The readings and the experiences of the journey are much liberating and sometimes overwhelming. "Out beyond the ideas of right-doings and wrong-doings, there’s a field…" How about in our existence, we stop labeling our experiences? How about no good or bad experiences? How about everything is happening around and is just happening… How about not labeling our emotions? How about not labeling people? How about we go beyond the ideas of anger, happiness, love, hatred, jealousy, and so on by ‘not labeling them’. Just experiencing and letting go—let us pretend, we have overgrown the practice of labeling…or let's pretend we have forgotten the words that label everything and everyone around. Experiencing an emotion and letting go… Se

A strange companion

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  Here’s some reflections I feel the need to share in this space while I spend my time in isolation as I display signs of Covid-19. As the wave has hit humanity, I am no other species…and my sense of dharma (we can always call it common sense) tells me to practice the basic rule of existence—to protect myself and to protect others. Covid-19 in a way is testing if we are fit for the next stage of evolution—and this time it is collective. Our sense of belonging, our sense of collective is tested (other than protecting our own self, it’s our dharma to protect others as well). As the microcosm becomes more aware of its existence as a part of a larger molecule—the collective takes over. The awareness invites one to practice their sense of belonging—that is to become one single race. The pandemic makes us global, it doesn't discriminate between countries, color, gender, etc... Pandemic in a way unites us all as one human race. And in terms of awareness, it brings us closer to our own s

Life happening

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After my first solo show in 2011 it happened that soon I became the mother of a child the very next year. An otherwise very neat and clean space—my home became as chaotic as possible and all of us who have experienced or are experiencing parenthood will agree to this. This sudden change of surroundings was quiet an annoying experience for me as I have been overly sensitive to the cleanliness of my environment. The joy of upbringing a child however superseded all the other things in life and being at home as a full-time mother with occasional art that I was doing that time was how life was going on in those days. I remember reacting to the chaos many times…still I don’t remember when, but I eventually started enjoying the chaos and the scribbles my toddler started making on the walls. Being the child of an artist mother, she had all the privilege to draw on the walls and no one had ever stopped her. The reason why I am telling this story is, the eventual acceptance of the chaotic surr

An extention of the research

My absence here in the blog is only because I have taken up the task of reading Gyaneshwari (translation of Shrimadbhagwad Geeta) and that is another step towards exploring identity. My notes and some of the findings are highlighted in this new blog that I am doing in collaboration with another author. Mine will be essays/notes and theirs will be chants. This project is to be taken as another step towards my research in exploring identity, while studying Gyaneshwari will have some influence on my work, simultaneously I will explore the subject through my previous approach, i.e. connection with the elements along with the art. Not taking a break from my blog, but I will continue writing occasionally with no hard and fast rule…let the flow take us there :) www.thesongofthecosmos.blogspot.in --address of the new blog, and having some public art projects in the pipeline plus some great collaborations in creative projects is all the info I am having to share right now. As usual, I sha

A path to nothingness

 Time and again to ponder over such questions- why am I doing this? What is the purpose of the art I am making? ...useless again to visit this query prompted by my fickle mind. Many times, one might wonder- do I really need to do this? I mean- who really cares?? But the point is, that is not for me to decide. For this is what comes out from my soul and there is not much I can do about it. So, probably just like a sparrow sings a song not because she wants to sing …it is because she was born with this song written in her heart…and this is what will always come out from her. If I try to claim the position of an artist- a silent voice inside me calls out- “…?” Thus, my soul speaks to me and says, I am not the artist- for the art resides somewhere else. And the song is also born much before I sang it. But to empty my self from the superficial notions and to become like a clear glass so that the light/song that is conceived somewhere else can pass through my being in the most unadulte