Maha Lakshmi

I am fascinated by trees and the deities associated with them and the intertwining symbolism between the two.

In India, plants are important in Hindu mythology. Sacred plants such as Neem, Banyan, Pipal are revered for their auspicious or medicinal qualities, and their associations with a deity from the Hindu pantheon. For example, Kalpavriksha is a wish-fulfilling divine tree that comes from Samudra Manthan (the churning of milk ocean) with Lakshmi Devi. It was one of the motifs of nature worship adapted by these religions when they became established in India.

The representations of nature, including goddesses, became semi-divine beings in the Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist pantheons; and their images were positioned in the temple at points of transition from worldly to sacred spaces.

My painting express these sentiments, and project a landscape that is filled with symbolism and metaphors.