MOKSHASHOTS EPISODE 12 : THE CONQUEST OF THE MIND

CONCEPT:
In Hindu and Buddhist philosophy, Moksh means salvation. Since most of us won’t get to Moksh in this lifetime, we can get a glimpse of it. A MokshaShot (by my own definition) is a taste of the sublime. Everyone can make their own MokshaShot out of anything they find fulfilling…art, chocolate, a holiday, a smile, a Ferrari or a tequila shot!

This series of paintings uses satirical humour to comment on social and cultural practices prevalent today. It examines the internal and external entities that strive to Conquer the Mind and influence it to fulfil their own agenda.

We live in a time when everything is sacred but nothing really is. Indians like to venerate. We create Gods out of everything. God’s out of God’s – new versions of old God’s! And we create Gods out of people – film stars, politicians, musicians, chefs, newscasters and CEOs. The advertising industry creates Gods out of products, graphic icons and brand mascots. Digital industries create God’s out of emoticons, game characters and stickers.

We then create the rituals and paraphernalia of worship. It used to be prayer beads and shawls, now its Tshirts and apps! This MokshaShots series mirrors this process. To satirise this penchant for veneration, I have created deities called MokshaPets. I have also created a range of art multiples based on my paintings: limited edition art prints, Tshirts, iPhone cases, notebooks, playing cards, mouse pads, coasters and Art Toys. Art Toys are limited edition collectibles or sculptures and figurines based on the MokshaShots characters and imagery. This is the first time an artist in India is making Art Toys.

Through history, faith and religion have been used as ways to conquer the mind. The methods of dissemination have changed over time, depending on changes in materials and technology, though the concept remains the same. Digital media and e-commerce have changed not only the way we consume, but also the way we relate and communicate with each other. New age gurus are now selling us hybrids of our own culture via the internet. You can take a meditation or personal growth class online these days, to get a few bits of Vedic wisdom! The new Gods dress like bankers. They even market like bankers! There is no difference between a corporate and a religious cult. Everybody is trying to get Mindshare and then monetise it. And the joke is on the consumer. Everything including a product, an emoticon, a mascot or a meditation promises to be your very own MokshaShot, the ultimate goal- Salvation.

Also explored are the universal experiences of the individual’s attempt at a conquest of his or her own mind, grappling with memory, nostalgia, self-perception and self-analysis along with self-deception, if you will! The series hopes to provoke a closer look and change in perception, of the times we live in (yes, yet another Conquest of the Mind!). The works are multi-layered, with irony upon irony and social and cultural references. They’re open to multiple readings and interpretations and unavoidable mis-interpretations 😉

HISTORY:
I have been exhibiting artist since the mid-nineties and my work evolves over time. At the very beginning of my career, I worked in a digital design studio and then the next few years at Lintas (now Lowe) as a graphic designer. There, I explored the influence of pop art on contemporary design- on products, packaging, apparel, accessories and furniture. At about the same time, my mother fell ill and I decided to work from home. My mother’s prolonged illness led me to explore mind-body medicine, alternative healing practices, philosophy and spirituality. I started writing on spirituality and art in leading Indian publications including The Times of India group, DNA, Verve magazine and Life Positive. I also did a comic strip called ‘Inside Ouch’ which ran for 5 years.

Concurrently, I started exhibiting my paintings, which were surreal until Vedanta became a major influence. From then on they became abstract, with a focus on Colour Therapy. From there they gradually transitioned into pop art. My work is now classified in the pop surrealist or neopop genres. Since I have always had a concurrent design practice, I have never viewed art and design as being hierarchical or completely separable. My mother passed away in late 2011. In 2012, I started doing Stand up Comedy to cheer up and ease the stress.

Over time, I realised that humour is an integral part of my individual voice and started exploring it in my work in various forms- painting, writing, digital interactive pieces, sculptural objects, design and most recently, stand up comedy. I came to experience humour and pop art as so much more accessible because they are about everyday things and universal experiences.

The MokshaShots series was first exhibited in Mumbai in 2008, after which I did an artist residency at the School of Visual Arts, New York. There, I explored the concept and imagery further. This crystallised into the full fledged MokshaShots language. It was exhibited solo in Mumbai in 2009/10. Since then, it has been exhibited in New York, London, Delhi, Amsterdam and Byron Bay, Australia. It is being shown in Mumbai this time after a gap of 5 years.