Ramayana is one of the two most important epics of Hindu mythology. In the month of October in every nook and corner there are stage performances of this epic. When I was a kid almost everybody used to go to these performances in the evening for 10-12 days and these performances used to finish with the burning of the effigy of Ravana, the demon king.

 

It’s a beautiful story about the victory of good over evil. As a child, the colourful costumes, the peculiar style of dialogue delivery, and the power of this thousand year-old tradition left a lasting impression on me.

 

My Ramayana Series images attempt to blend various layers - the layer of spiritualism, the layer of simple human characters, the layer of modern technology, the layer of morality, the layer of faith, the layer of an ancient time and the layer of my subconscious mind. I am trying to combine two opposites, like yin & yang and evil & good. I am trying to infuse the ancient with the modern and the spiritual with the physical world. My characters are mighty gods but at the same time they are like human beings with all their weaknesses and desires.

 

Ramayana is an evolved thought narrated in a simple manner. That’s why I have used simple thin uniform lines on a vast background of flat colour. By keeping my approach straight and the narrative simple I am trying to match the purity of the verses of Ramayana. My attempt is to find a totally modern technique of execution to express my ancient content. The lines have been created by me in a digital medium and then printed with the newest technology.

 

Every episode and every character of Ramayana inspires and powers us to fight the evil that is outside and within us. When I draw these characters I draw them with an artistic mind and a devotional heart. I want my Ramayana characters to come alive and be present on the paper like an invisible form of energy, providing inspiration and the power to fight evil.

 

Through my work I am trying to complete the cycle of life that was started eons back. The living and breathing characters that might have existed were converted into verses of an epic. From that two dimensional work the three dimensional stage performances were created. I am converting those performances back to two dimensions. I am melting down the multi dimensional aspects to simplicity and when a viewer looks at my work I want to use his or her mind as a stage where these characters will come alive once again.