An Artist’s Ode to Shiva’s Abode

Curated by Anubhav Nath, curatorial director of Ojas Art, “Shiva in Varanasi: A Tribute to Ganges” was a six-day long exhibition, a tribute to the spirit of lord Shiva. It focused on the immediate need to cleanse the Ganges and the importance of man and nature to coexist peacefully.

Locals were surprised to spot large hoardings of the exhibition that were placed on boats as promotion. Nath says, “The show was a public art project where a different imagery of Shiva was portrayed. It was an amalgamation of spiritual, public and experimental art.” To the locals’ credit, contrary to the India Art Fair where “Do Not Touch” boards are seen in every corner, the pubic chose not to touch the works and treated them with respect.

Of the five works that made pit stops at Assi Ghat, Tulsi Ghat and Dashashwamedh Ghat from December 20-26, was Sadhak Shiva, portraying the deity as a tapasvi. In the painting, Shiva looks immersed in thought, surrounded by large circular rings of energy, with symbols and codes running across his silhouette. The painting is a far cry from the traditional portrayal of the deity with his long locks and human features.

Hiding symbols and icons, Gangavtaran, another painting in Singh’s trademark style, makes a reference to the emergence of Ganga from Shiva’s locks of hair. He says, “People in Varanasi have a lot of knowledge about these stories already and they would examine the art based on some source material. This was like an exam for me.”

Lending a graphic novel touch to his paintings is not new to Singh. The artist has been working on imagery of gods and goddesses for the past 10 years. His comics, Krishna –A Journey Within and Deepak Chopra and Shekhar Kapur’s Ramayana 3392 AD, reflect his body
of work.

Nath reveals that the exhibition will be showcased in the Capital this year. He says, “The current visual representation that we have of the gods and goddesses is by Raja Ravi Varma, which he did in the late 1800s and that is the imagery that we have all consumed. Maybe it’s time for us to rethink the same. Abhishek Singh’s is a different voice which resonates the times and society that we live in.”