Artists paint the relevance of animals in our lives

A collection of 25 works by eight artists is on display at the Threshold Gallery till April 15

From time to time, the world faces the wrath of nature when diseases break out. It makes human beings realise how intrinsically the ecosystem is linked to our existence. When we disturb the ecosystem, nature fights back. 

“In all the years of our existence, we have wiped out almost a third of all species that ever lived”, says Ritika Kochar, art writer and author. 

From the three-headed hound in Greek mythology to Lord Rama’s army of monkeys in the Ramayana, mythological stories from all over the world mention animals and the integral roles they played in human existence.

A collection of 25 works by eight artists, on display at the Threshold Gallery, highlights the inter-relatedness of animals with our domestic lives. The exhibition attempts to relook the divine power attributed to flora and fauna.

Gulammohammed Sheikh beautifully recreates the story of Laila and Majnu, showing the Simurgh and other birds lamenting their death. V. Ramesh’s watercolour on canvas recreates the Dasavatar of Vishnu in Pahari miniature style.

Anindita Bhattacharya’s story of how the elephant Gajananda becomes a devotee of Lord Vishnu is very similar to the Jataka tales. A suite of 48 works, it is a deeply philosophical series that looks at forming a new mythology around a single animal.

Avishek Sen, one of the participating artists, says: “Once upon a time, animals like snakes were seen near human settlements. Now, we are creating sanctuaries for them to prevent them from disappearing. But they are made to live in isolation and are no longer included in our living styles as it was in earlier times. I have created my own illusionary world with these reptiles,” he says.