J.R.R.Tolkien gave us only one real glimpse of the “Dark Lord” Sauron as the red eye, nothing more than a roving ball of fire constantly peering in every direction from the “Dark Tower”. And if that eye was enough to paralyze the whole of Middle Earth (except Gandalf, of course), imagine such a fiery, albeit benign awareness gazing at you from canvases across a hall.
That's what walking into spiritual artist (also healing guide and aura master ) Tarun Cherian's exhibition of works “A Piece of Heaven” feels like. The works, according to Tarun, are representational of his visions of God.
“Somewhere the Indian scriptures describe God as a being resplendent like a thousand suns. There are many faces of God and in my encounters, he has been revealed to me as an enormous power, full of exuberance, passion, energy and vibrancy,” describes Tarun. His colours — blazing, almost burning shades of orange, mauve, yellow, mustard, brown — are equally vibrant. Tarun agrees they are unearthly, but he feels, they exude a sense of life.
“These colours are throwing themselves out with the sheer vehemence and power of the creator. But he is a power filled with joy.”
His canvases are deeply textured, revealing uneven brushstrokes that create ripples, crackles and movements, both radiating toward a centre of blinding white and emanating forth with such velocity.
“My cosmic vision is an explosion of joy, of cosmic ripples. These visions may look abstract, but they are realistic representations of God. We live in a world that is made up of light and joy. Every mystic and every religion speaks of this. And there is a tremendous aliveness in my brushstrokes.”
The sense of aliveness may not just be perceived, it could be quite real because Tarun practises his art also as a way of spreading blessings (called ‘Shaktipats') He argues that if people can feel an unexplained force in powerful temples or churches, then they can feel the same in artworks because they too are representational of the divine. Simply looking at an artwork, he feels, is a Western concept whereas art becomes a platform to invite “greater forces” in the Eastern tradition.
“I took this idea and placed it into a modern setting. If you infuse enough energy into the artwork, you can touch people in ever so light a way and bring in positivity and joy.”
The exhibition also features a series of abstract miniature watercolours in an array of colours, appearing like individual foundations of miniature worlds in the making. “A Piece of Heaven” will be on display at the Alliance Francaise, Thimmaiah Road, Vasanth Nagar until June 10. For details, call 25425143 or 9880541264.
