Sensuality
A portrait series inspired by Raja Ravi Varma paintings
Raja Ravi Varma was an Indian painter who used folklore and mythological stories to convey deep and meaningful ideas rooted in Indian culture. He was basically a legend but you can read all that online. When it came to presenting his work at a global platform in 1893, he picked a topic that was still a mystery for most in the western world - ‘the Indian women’. He moved away from allegory and showcased Indian women with a strong sense of realism. Yet, we can point out the mystical elements in each one of them. Hence, his genius and my interest in recreating them. He fused European styles with Indian sensibilities in his portraits. I’ve always been fascinated by his work but after moving to Amsterdam and having been closely exposed to western art, I see these paintings in a new light. He depicts the idea of Indian beauty in a very non traditional fashion
