Spiritually Aware

The last few years have seen people investing in their spiritual growth. High-stress jobs, the pandemic, economic instability across markets and even wars are making us seek refuge in spirituality. We are more spiritually aware and are seeking out experiences that add to our spiritual growth. 

Jai Khanna - Celebrating the True Gopal Given their high emotional appeal, Spiritual paintings are preferred by a broad base of buyers. We all admire the traditional Pichwai, Tanjore, Mysore artworks and Thangkas however, young collectors are leaning towards contemporary spiritual paintings because they can relate to these pieces better. With the Indian art market seeing positive growth, new buyers are investing in emerging contemporary artists many of whom go on to achieve great recognition. 

One such emerging artist who gives his depiction of Srinath ji a contemporary flavour is Jai Khanna. His study of the scriptures related to Srinath ji and the miniature art form informs his work. This young artist uses natural substances like flowers and the sindoor to create his pigments. 

Every composition he creates has a story linked to it, some inspired by ancient mantras. At the moment, he is working on a series of work inspired by Jainism. He recently showcased his work in New Delhi at an exhibition titled, ‘The Inward Trail’. “My work is a result of my pilgrimages to various Jain shrines of Palitana, Shikar ji & Girnar - it is a journey of self-discovery,” he says.

'Whispered Wisdom' - Tangkha art paintings from Bhutan Recently, the capital also had a showing of artworks by Buddhist artist, Zeiko curated by Arjun Sawhney and Tania Lefebvre. The Bhutanese Thangka artworks depicted ‘Tara’, a leading female deity of Buddhism, as much as it focused on Buddha himself. 

Tārā is a tantric meditation deity believed to originate as a form of the goddess Durga who today, is worshipped both in Buddhism and in Shaktism as one of the ten Mahavidyas. Thangkas serve as important teaching tools, visually unfolding the life of the Buddha, and other deities and bodhisattvas.The art of Bhutanese Thangkas exemplifies legends, stories and deities from Mahayana Buddhism. 

The canvases exhibited were created under the strict guidelines of Buddhist scriptures as the work encompassed symbolism and allusion, and were explicitly religious. Each Thangka was created with various elements mixed meticulously and involved earthly pigments and minerals such as 24 karat gold and other natural colours. 

Also read: The Anatomy Of The Art Collector