Peace Offering: The Lotus is the National Flower of my country and it is a symbol of Peace. Ironically, this lovely flower blooms in stagnant, murky water. One can compare it to the people of India who survive in poverty and depravity, and yet live in harmony. The various hues of this gorgeous bloom seem to represent the diversity of India, and it is used by people of various religions in their rituals. The soft velvet- like petals cupped in the palms of a devotee as a peace offering to the Gods, instantly calm the mind. These curl inwards as well as outwards to form a pattern almost geometrical, at the same time they appear asymmetrical. The leaves and buds of this flower are beautiful too. Craftsmen, artists, and artisans are often inspired by this motif. Textile designers embellish fabrics and weave carpets using this theme. Sculptors carve or mould it in various forms. Artists often paint it. This particular drawing is taken from an Origami version of the lotus. I folded the paper into this multidimensional shape. I placed it in front of me and worked on its many layered shades to translate this into this unusual form. The lotus leaf sets it off, forming a dark halo-like backdrop, whereas the ‘geomatrix’ pattern, in the background completes the drawing. I have fused an oriental design form against a modern western background, which is similar to my way of thinking.

Inside Outside: My interest in Interior Design / Architecture is the reason why I chose this theme for this pencil drawing The starting point of this drawing was the view from inside of a house. Every window and door surrealistically reveal the outside showing four different seasons (spring, monsoon, winter and autumn) When you turn the paper over, it is the same house (outside-in) and the same trees, but another season (summer). Both sides of the drawing is continuous and yet each side has a ‘life’ of its own.

Concentricity: I have always been fascinated by the structural dynamics of a bicycle and whenever I think of a cycle the first thing that comes to mind is the wheel. The word concentricity means circles within circles (or ‘wheels within wheels’) There is an element of simple complexity in its kinetics, form and structure. Portions of the cycle are more interesting to render, rather than the whole. So I made the drawing only focusing on the interesting mechanical portions of the bicycle. The ‘cog’ wheel, the peddle and the chain which drive the bicycle make a lyrical composition. The pencil rendering brings out the graphic and linear composition of a bike and the partially abstract circular, concentric forms signify motion giving the bicycle another facet. The smooth and steady linear motion of a bicycle append to its magnificence. The bicycle is an intriguing object that can be depicted in a 2 dimensional work of art. But at the same time its different characteristics can also appear to be 3 dimensional.