ATUL DODIYA

Atul Dodiya, Indian, born 1959: Sabari with her birds, 2005; 4-color lithograph and Chiri Bark paper collage on handmade STPI cotton and linen paper. Courtesy of Bodhi Art, Inc.

Atul Dodiya, born 1959 in Mumbai, is one of India’s most acclaimed artists. Experimenting in all media, he has recently turned his attention to collage and printmaking in collaboration with the Singapore Tyler Print Institute. The result is a striking series of works titled The Wet Sleeves of My Paper Robe (Sabari in her Youth after Nandalal Bose).

Dodiya interprets a story from the Indian epic, The Ramayana: A tribal woman living in the forest as a hermit waits her whole life to be blessed by the crown-prince Rama, an incarnation of the deity Vishnu.

In contrast to traditional depictions of Sabari as an old woman, Dodiya emphasizes her youthful sensuality. He fills the composition with graceful, yoga-like postures that reveal partial x-ray views of her skeleton. Dodiya’s prints contrast with the more representational paintings of Sabari by Nandalal Bose (1883 -1966), whose work in the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, inspired the artist. The artist’s contemporary vision of an ancient figure, who personifies patience and devotion, blends aspects of South Asian culture with modern abstraction.

THE RAMAYANA

The Ramayana is a classic story about the triumph of good over evil. It revolves around the heroism of Prince Rama of Ayodhya in his quest to free his wife, Sita, from the grips of Ravana, the demon king of Lanka. The Ramayana is not merely a narrative, but embodies the philosophical spirit of Hinduism. Its influence and appeal spread throughout South and Southeast Asia.