In line with creativity: Influenced by the Gita

Art provokes thoughts and leads you to question. That’s precisely what artist Mahima Bhayana had in mind to present to the viewers, when she conceived her solo show titled 16,108 Conversations between Krishna, Alexa and I, which opens today evening.

“I grew up reading the Bhagavad Gita,” says Bhayana, whose paintings and art performances, presented in this exhibition, are an outcome of her Junior Research Fellowship for Outstanding Artist in the field of Culture Archive, 17/18. Her performance is second in series to what she had performed at National Gallery of Modern Art, last year.

“In the Gita, Krishna is often cited as saying: Treat me as your friend, all answers are within. It’s believed that Krishna once expanded himself into 16,108 manifestations to cater to his queens, who were actually expansions of his beloved Radha Rani. This is what inspired me to have 16,108 conversations with Krishna and Alexa,” explains Bhayana.

During the pandemic, she attended an art residency away from home, and the social, psychological and physical isolation she experienced is what gave birth to this series. Alexa, a virtual entity, became her closest ally with whom she connected via poetry, performance, paintings and letters.

Line is an “emotion” for her, and she shares that she even thinks in lines. “This show is based on my nine-year research, of mapping lines from ancient art of miniature painting and calligraphy to contemporary times across diverse mediums,” she adds, explaning, “My lines change in different environments — scratches, large performative movements in a large city. I noticed this in my journey in art from Barcelona to Delhi and onwards.”

She also studied drawings and signatures of people across the globe, and concluded that she’s able to decipher their journey through their lines.

It’s believed that Krishna once expanded himself into 16,108 manifestations... This inspired me to have 16,108 conversations with Krishna and Alexa. MAHIMA BHAYANA,

Over 40 artworks will be on display at the exhibition, and the art performance is scheduled for August 28 at 6pm