paintings

Love and kindness swirl with the prevailing winds of graceful Radha, the Hindu Mother Goddess and consort of God Krishna. Prominently standing out from the turquoise-blue sky and floral backdrop, Radha blissfully celebrates her role as chief consort of the Gopies together her closest friends, the Ashtasakhis. Reinterpreting the iconic Madhubani style of painting endemic to the region of Bihar, Indian artist Bharti Dayal paints 'Radha with Gopies' to consciously tell the story of her culture's origins, assigning each detail its own intellectual meaning. Internationally recognized for her resurrection of the Madhubani style which had previously suffered poor quality and a lack of originality, Dayal works to perpetuate classic themes beyond the scope of mere folk art while avoiding the mundane nature of contemporary recreations.

"Madhubani paintings are in fact a simplistic manifestation of the philosophical heights achieved by Indian civilization for the universal power of love, longing and peace; the quest of all beings," Dayal says.

Radiant tones of gold and bronze conjure lotus blossoms that lift their petals toward the morning sun. Illustrating Buddhist doctrine, Noppadon Kamkong adds gilded details on three perfect flowers. In Thailand, the lotus is more than simply a flower, as it is utilized in worshiping Buddha and realizing positive activities. The lotus is Buddha's preferred offering, here depicted across a set of nine lovely canvases

This uplifting painting is the original work of Benjawan in Thailand. The colorful acrylic on canvas painting depicts brightly patterned birds flitting among flowers and leaves. The artist's attention to detail is captivating.

Marveling at a garden of flowers and peacocks, Hindu Goddess Radha and Supreme God Krishna leave a trail of love and compassion emblematic of their eternal bond. Inseparable since their love began, Radha and Kirshna exist within each other, making their existence mutually inclusive. Their pure consciousness in the garden scene demonstrates their inner peace, symbolized by each flower, swirl and bird. Krishna's leftward-facing peacock feather crown alludes to the presence of two peacocks who mirror their respective deities, with one looking right and the other left. Each vine of the garden spirals into its own unique shape, providing foliage and a home for colorful flowers and little birds. Kirshna becomes one with this garden, mingling with the spiral vines, seemingly floating across the scene. Bharti Dayal paints 'Eternal Love of Radha Krishna' in a two-dimensional contemporary style to concentrate on narrating one of Hinduism's greatest love stories for a modern audience.

"Madhubani paintings are in fact a simplistic manifestation of the philosophical heights achieved by Indian civilization for the universal power of love, longing and peace; the quest of all beings," Dayal says.

Artist Bharti Dayal depicts a myriad of Hindu Goddesses in her work 'Women Eccentricity'. Composed of two floating and five elevated Goddesses amid a backdrop of perceived funnels, this painting shakes the chains of reality and proposes the free self-determination of women under her God-given potential. Each flower-like funnel represents the passage to a distinct reality, with each woman free to select her own. Superimposing the Goddess figures over the radiating tunnels without shadows or occlusion, Dayal creates an effect of imperceptible depth in the seemingly surreal composition. Utilizing naturally obtained pink and green dyes for the background and vibrant hues of turqoise, blue, yellow and red in the foreground, Dayal keeps true to the Madhubani style of painting, placing the focus on her culture's prized Goddesses without distraction.

"Madhubani paintings are in fact a simplistic manifestation of the philosophical heights achieved by Indian civilization for the universal power of love, longing and peace; the quest of all beings," Dayal says.

Lord Ganesha welcomes his mother Parvati as she arrives mounted on her dutiful wild cat under the heat of the afternoon sun. Parvati, worshipped as the supreme deity of Shaktism, enters the scene brandishing a trident to symbolize her divine power over all beings and opposing deities. Just as Parvati appears with her wild cat mount, Ganesha is accompanied by his personal mouse, both eager for his attention. Holding out a divine lotus flower to his mother as a symbol of his very creation, Ganesha praises his mother for her infusion of life. India's Bharti Dayal paints 'Parvati Ganesha Saga' in naturally-dyed acrylic characterized by warm beige and royal turquoise hues. This painting provides a lovely representation of Hinduism's beloved Mother Goddess Parvati and God of Wisdom Ganesha who join all living beings in the mundane and spiritual.

"Madhubani paintings are in fact a simplistic manifestation of the philosophical heights achieved by Indian civilization for the universal power of love, longing and peace; the quest of all beings," Dayal says.

Under an idyllic tree dotted with abundant songbirds, Radha and her Gopies lounge in an enchanted garden of energy. As she plays the flute to celebrate love and compassion on Earth, she holds out her other hand for a songbird keen earn her motherly affection. Worshipped as the Supreme Goddess and source of all energy, the revered deity visibly occupies the foreground of 'Glorious Radha', appearing the closest to the angle of perspective while flanked by her admiring Gopies. A continuous fabric of nature wraps around the Gopies, signifying their eternal blissful love. One Gopi holds out a sacred lotus flower for Radha, symbolizing her role as the womb and origin of Gopies, love and energy. Artist Bharti Dayal creates this divine scene in the Madhubani Style to highlight the significance of Radha in Hindu society, without deviating from the pure nature of her existence. Solid hues and flowing shapes form the composition of this painting, creating blissful emotion proper of a deity.

"Madhubani paintings are in fact a simplistic manifestation of the philosophical heights achieved by Indian civilization for the universal power of love, longing and peace; the quest of all beings," Dayal says.

India's acclaimed Bharti Dayal illustrates her own interpretation of the enchantment between Hinduism's God and Goddess of love in her painting 'Soulmate - Radha Krishna'. Kirshna and Radha come together under the blue skies of the heavens, with Radha attracting the heart of Radha. Enchanting the Supreme God himself, Rahda reaches the highest level of esteem within Hindu mythology, presiding as Goddess of All. Painted with his arm around Radha while possessing a flute, Krishna appears enamored, young and finely decorated with peacock feathers and floral bands that symbolize the early years of his divine descent from Vishnu. Radha, flanked by Krishna's blue tapestry, exercises her supreme powers of enchantment to merge her own red drapery to create a collective purple, seen below her chin, symbolizing their mutual synthesis into Radha-Krishna.

"Madhubani paintings are in fact a simplistic manifestation of the philosophical heights achieved by Indian civilization for the universal power of love, longing and peace; the quest of all beings," Dayal says.

Ganesha, God of wisdom and the most widely revered of the Hindu assemblage, casts aside all other aspects of the Earth to devote himself to mindfulness in the garden of peacocks. As a master of the mind, Ganesha encourages others in their pursuits of learning and advanced studies, aiding in focus and intellect with his ubiquitous presence which draws all minds to the center. Depicted in his commonly-accepted four-armed form, wearing a floral crown and patterned textiles, Ganesha appears levitating while seated, seemingly superimposed over the peacocks of the background. Bharti Dayal creates 'Ganesha - The Beginning' to honor the deity's role as the giver of new beginnings and to tell the authentic story of India's vivid experience with Hinduism, painting handmade paper with vegetable-derived colors.

"Madhubani paintings are in fact a simplistic manifestation of the philosophical heights achieved by Indian civilization for the universal power of love, longing and peace; the quest of all beings," Dayal says.

Amid the green refuge of Chirtrakoot, Rama and Sita live in tranquility and equilibrium, free from the vices of the kingdom they chose to leave behind. United in their life of exile, they gaze into the Mandakini River below, abounding with flowers, fish and birds. Immediately to the left of Sita, two songbirds mimic the relationship of the deities. Appearing without shadows or perspective, this Madhubani painting achieves a perception of space through the scale of the distant fish and distribution of assets, namely the flowers in the high background, suggesting a steep landscape, backed up by a dividing line to the left of Sita, that hints towards rolling hills over the riverbank.

Indian artist Bharti Dayal triumphs in her depiction of both Hindu deities, capturing the essence of the Goddess of beauty and the embodiment of dharma with her arrangement of flowing shapes and naturally occurring colors. Dedicated to modernizing one of the most iconic painting styles of India, Dayal creates this painting drawing on experience gained throughout her portfolio numbering in the thousands.

"Madhubani paintings are in fact a simplistic manifestation of the philosophical heights achieved by Indian civilization for the universal power of love, longing and peace; the quest of all beings," Dayal says.

Over an idyllic backdrop of swirls and flowers, a young Ganesha finds himself in his gentle, loving mother Parvati's arms, mounted on a fierce wild cat. Depicted without perceived depth or space, Parvati and Ganesha emerge from the background with bold contrast and juxtaposition of textures. Utilizing plant-derived dyes that she discovered during her post-graduate studies, artist Bharti Dayal paints 'Ganesha & Parvati' to tell the story of her native India, incorporating solid color contours and layered floral motifs into both deity and wild cat.

In this painting, Parvati manifests as a devoted mother in the traditional human form, seemingly mortal in her portrayal, differing from competing incarnations in Indian society that often give her eight arms and royal symmetry. Ganesha's manifestation is unusual in that Dayal only gives him two arms, differing from the commonly accepted four. Together, Parvati, the Goddess of power, and Ganesha, the God of wisdom are successful in conveying the significance and spirit of Indian Hinduism.

"Madhubani paintings are in fact a simplistic manifestation of the philosophical heights achieved by Indian civilization for the universal power of love, longing and peace; the quest of all beings," Dayal says.

Hindu god Shiva is known for being the absolute consciousness that makes up our cosmos and for being forever in union with his consort Shakti. Indian artist Bharti Dayal explores the notion that incorporating Shiva and Shakti into our inner consciousness allows us to achieve greater inner peace and strength, a quality that is represented by Shiva's bull Nandi. This rich Hindu mythology is depicted with intricate detail by the artist in a remarkable Madhubani-style folk painting made with acrylic paint and vegetable dyes on handmade paper.