Artist Ramu Das’ lotus symbolises joy and peace

The artist’s fascination for the motif is abundantly evident in his solo show at Hyderabad’s Kalakriti Art Gallery

A 54x64 inches colourful canvas filled with white lotuses surrounding a wounded Bhishma lying on a bed of arrows that seem like lotus flowers, depicts artist Ramu Das’ epic imagination. The ‘Petamaha’ painting derived from the battle scene of Kurukshetra in Mahabharata is among the few figurative works displayed at the artist’s solo show ‘An Idyllic World, The Real & The Imagined’ at Kalakriti Art Gallery in Hyderabad. “Bheeshma was in deep pain but also content, symbolising purity,” says Ramu of the lotuses swaying in his favourite work. The lotus series has been his focus for six years now, blending the real and surreal.