Saturday, June 2, 2012

Living Gods And Goddesses In Climate Change


My latest series NATURE SPEAKS is inspired by Nature's suffering and devastation. Cutting trees, dumping waste in river and sea, polluting the air endlessly with our cars all for the sake of human comfort cannot continue without consequences. Climate change is Nature's response and the result is in the violence of earthquakes, typhoons, hurricanes etc. I can't help but feel the anger of Nature when I see proof of these devastating events as if She is giving back to us what we have given Her.
The present climate change is the result of our negligence and ignorance toward Nature. When I am close to a river, sea or forest I try to understand their unspoken language and feelings. They speak to me of pain, suffering, unbalance, injustice and worries for the future. My paintings are a translation of the woes of Nature.
As humans we think only of our needs as valuable but truly we are forgetting how dependent we are on the light of the sun, water of the glacier and oxygen released by plants. We should remember how dependent we are on Nature for our lives. As we respect our lives we should respect the cycles of Nature. I have made the great forces and forms of Nature resemble humans as well as Gods and Goddesses in Hindu mythology in a quest to illustrate our need to think of Nature as God Herself. Here I question the Hindus who profess to worship the river Ganga and Bagmati as most sacred while polluting them with foul smelling human waste. How can a Hindu worship a Pipai tree with thread and incense believing in the God in the branches while cutting and choking other trees? My work illustrates that Nature is God both male and female dressed in our shoes and socks for protection which they need as our human bodies need.

Explanation About Few Works
My Parijat tree, symbol of love in female form, is pregnant which whose the dream of a tree for her future as a woman!
My River Goddess is unhappy because the water is so polluted that she must wear gloves, the fish are running away from the dirty water, and she is forced to clear out the rubbish. She is show sweating and furious arriving from the high mountain glacier.
My Monkey God, Hanuman, has lost his forest of Sanjivini.
The Air God is angry as he pushes down the old car belching black smoke. His fury shows as a bird dies in his hand choked by pollution. The forest of trees disappears as the forest of tyres touches the sky.
My Buddha wears socks in order to protect Nature and Peace in the world.
All my tulsi, medicinal plant, are in modern dress to show the importance of tulsi even in the 21St century !
Ganesh (the elephant god) with grass (duboo) Lord Shiva with Bel patra (tree) Lotus with Goddess Laxmi show the connection between GOD and NATURE which also show the importance of nature.
Umbrellas, socks, shoes are used here as symbol for protection that they all need today.
It is our duty to protect and love Nature with space and respect. It is in our own interest because if Nature dies we all die.
Remember that if we ruin Nature She will find a way to continue but we may not.

No comments: