Taipei, April 15 (CNA) An art exhibition aimed at showcasing India’s rich culture opened at the Indian Representative Office in Taipei on Friday with more than a dozen works by an Indian artist local who shows how her art is influenced by carvings found at famous ancient sites. caves in India.
The “Into the Caves of India” exhibition features a total of 15 mixed media artworks by Taipei-based Indian artist Vandana Mengane at the India-Taipei Association in downtown Taipei and will be held until to April 22.
Among the works is a 77cm x 63cm mixed media artwork titled ‘Trimurthi’, which depicts the deities Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. It is this piece that draws visitors deeper into the exhibition.
Presenting Vishnu as an energy that manages the universe, Mengane also shows 10 works that each represent 10 incarnations of divinity in the form of different animals and men.
“These were all carved in the caves of India thousands of years ago,” Mengane said.
Another highlight is a 95cm by 76.5cm mixed media painting entitled ‘Peace is Within’, which was inspired by beautiful paintings from the Ajanta Caves that date back to around the 2nd century BCE. , in the Aurangabad district of the state of Maharashtra in India.
The work shows Buddha’s face in a cave with many lotus plants in different positions.
“My perception of the lotus is that we start at the bud and when we bend down, which is like withdrawing our ego, we can start our step towards enlightenment,” Mengane said.
When a lotus flower blooms, it is a representation of the stage of enlightenment, which Buddha has attained, she said.
In an interview with CNA, Mengane said she has been living in Taiwan since 2017 and “Into the Caves of India” is her fifth exhibition in the country.
She is also the founder of the Anahata Artisan platform, which aims to connect artists from rural India with art lovers in Taiwan.
