For centuries, Buddha and his prescribed path have been synonymous with calmness, peace and tranquility, and that is what has inspired and is the theme of the work of ace artist-sculptor Satish Gupta, being exhibited at the ongoing India Art Fair 2023.
Displayed against an ash-coloured background and with minimal lighting, his paintings and sculptures will prompt you to remain silent, present in the moment, and soak it all in.
Silence is the theme of his large yet subtle sculpture Meditations on a Mandala. A spiritual symbol in Buddhism and Hinduism, a Mandala, meaning circle, is loosely employed to mean the universe and is used as an instrument for meditation and prayer. Artistically, it is a culmination of various geometric patterns done symmetrically. While Mandalas are often seen done on the floor, Gupta’s Meditations on a Mandala is a kinetic sculpture that twirls. Different elements have been used to make it such as copper with patina and gold plating along with stainless in gold with mirror finish. At nine feet in diameter, the sculpture comprises countless small figures of the Buddha placed symmetrically, with a larger one suspended at the centre, becoming the focus of this universe, the meditative spot. The structure twirls, but it hardly disturbs the central, suspended Buddha. To the spectator, it can mean several things. The twirling circle can mean outside chaos and the central Buddha depicting calm, which when taken as a whole can be taken as finding tranquility amid the chaos outside. “It is about silence,” says Gupta. “We are increasingly forgetting the importance of silence,” he adds.
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While Gupta is credited with grand sculptures, such as Garuda and The Buddhas Within, Meditations on a Mandala appears muted in comparison, but one that surely draws attention and leaves a mark.
Throughout the space, the impact of Zen Buddhism on the artist’s work is evident, such as in his sculpture, Silent Eternity. It depicts the last sermon of the Buddha, which was wordless, throughout which he held a white flower in his hand. None of his disciples apart from Mahakasyapa understood what Buddha meant. Mahakasyapa smiles signifying the wordless transmission of wisdom. The monk later assumed the leadership of the monastic community following Buddha’s death. This flower sermon tale is often regarded as the origin of Zen Buddhism. In the Silent Eternity sculpture made with copper with antique finish, silver leaf, and sea shell, a giant sculpture of the Buddha holding a flower illuminates against a dark background comprising of several miniature Buddha figurines. The impact is such that the central Buddha appears formless quite akin to the halo, which symbolises a circle of light behind the head of gods and saints.
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It is a running theme in Gupta’s work where a large Buddha sculpture or painting is set against countless miniature figurines.
It all started with Gupta’s journey and stay at Sikkim’s Rumtek monastery “to get some inspiration”. “Until then, my work was becoming more and more abstract. I was removing all forms from it so much so that it almost became white on white,” the artist shares. “It was a fantastic ride to the monastery. I travelled to the edge of a mountain. Standing there, I saw this light, almost Biblical in nature coming out of the valley. I felt like I was at the centre of the Zen circle, the shunya, something I was looking for intellectually. I was ecstatic,” the artist adds.
