An exhibition of more than a dozen artworks by a Taiwanese-based Indian artist and inspired by ancient cave sculptures opened on Friday at India’s representative office in Taipei.
The “Into the Caves of India” exhibition, which ends on Friday next week, features 15 mixed media artworks by Taipei-based Vandana Mengane at the India-Taipei Association.
Among the artworks is a 77cm-by-63cm mixed media piece titled Trimurthi, which depicts the deities Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The artwork is intended to draw visitors deeper into the exhibition
Mengane presents Vishnu as an energy that manages the universe, while 10 of her artworks depict 10 incarnations of Vishnu in the form of animals and people.
“These were all carved in India’s caves thousands of years back,” Mengane said.
Another highlight is a 95cm-by-76.5cm mixed media painting titled Peace is Within, which was inspired by paintings from the Ajanta Caves in the Aurangabad District of India’s Maharashtra state that date back to about 200 BC.
The artwork shows the face of Buddha in a cave with numerous lotus plants in various positions.
“My perception of the lotus is that we start with the bud and when we bend, which is something like removing our ego, we can start our step towards enlightenment,” Mengane said.
When a lotus flower blooms, it is a representation of the enlightenment stage, she said.
Mengane said she has lived in Taiwan since 2017 and “Into the Caves of India” is her fifth exhibition in the nation.
She is also the founder of the platform Anahata Artisan, which aims to connect artists from rural India to art lovers in Taiwan.
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