STAR: Can you explain a bit of the story behind your series of paintings?
ANUJA.S: Most of my work has drawn inspiration from Madhubani paintings.In my Radha
-Krishna paintings I have mostly shown the chemistry between them; Krishna’s mischevious
behavior towards Radha and the love between them. The gopikas celebrate the love between
Radha-Krishna in Rasa Leela. They are singing and dancing around Radha - Krishna.
Then I’ve shown harmony between flora and fauna in my tree of life paintings. The spreading
branches of a tree of life shelters birds and animals who live together in peace.
Goddess Durga, also known as Devi -Shakti referred to as “Triyambake”-meaning The three-eyed
goddess.The left eye represents desire (the moon), the right eye represents an action (the sun),
and the central eye represents knowledge (fire). In my Durga - painting I have concentrated more
on her eyes and her face to replicate the bright and powerful image of Durga.
Goddess Lakshmi is known as the goddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity. I have shown
colorful elephants around goddess Lakshmi. In my other artworks I have shown the day to day
activities of Indian women like - sacred visit to the temple,women bringing water from the river
and gossiping by the river-side while returning home I’ve also shown a King and Queen riding on
a Camel in the beautiful moonlight in a dessert covered with sand dunes.
STAR: What role does the artist have in society?
ANUJA.S: Artists role is to spread awareness in the society.They can create the social and
environmental awareness, along with aesthetic awareness.To promote art and its beauty in a much
distraught world for better future. They can spread happiness through their painting in society.
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