Vaanar on her mind

Her doodle series titled The Divine Monkey Army: Vaanarsena, began as a lockdown project in March 2020

In February 2020, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal recited the Hanuman Chalisa for a TV channel to prove his devotion to Lord Hanuman. Around Makar Sankranti last month, the women's wing of the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh also took refuge in the chant, though some members clarified that the Chalisa wasn't compulsory for non-Hindus. The use of the Chalisa as a Hindu majoritarian symbol/text was amusing in both instances.

First, it spoke of the iconic status of the text, as already exemplified in the T Series Hanuman Chalisa rendition by Hariharan, which recently broke all viewership records on YouTube. Second, it demonstrated the innovative ways in which mythological texts and characters are coopted in everyday discourse.

Kanika Jain Gupta's childhood in Mumbai, especially her schooling in Juhu's Arya Vidya Mandir, exposed her to a certain kind of dharm shiksha, which inspired her meditative pen/ink illustrations

An interesting reflection of the monkey God motif is seen in visual artist Kanika Jain Gupta's new doodle series titled The Divine Monkey Army: Vaanarsena. The lockdown-impacted artist, a new mother, currently surrounds herself with Vaanars, big and small, illustrations and wooden cut-outs. Her Vaanars were initially part of an early January solo show in Mumbai's Nippon Gallery, thoughtfully called Mythical Nobel Peace. But the exhibition shifted to the virtual space because of the surge in COVID-19 cases due to Omicron.

Gupta, 39, a Sir JJ School of Applied Art alumna, is a Mumbaite who relocated to Bengaluru after marriage. Since her JJ days, her work resides at the intersection of graphics and illustrations. She is deeply influenced by her seniors Sam Kulavoor, Aashit Singh and Lokesh Karekar.

The artist is exploring the market for Vaanar art, especially puppets and toys, which can be installed together like an ‘enabling' army in a hotel or living room

Gupta's Vaanars are in demand in many pandemic-impacted cities. She is working on a seven-foot-tall mural depicting the Hanuman Chalisa for a client in Bengaluru. Ideally, she would have worked in the living room of the client, but now she will courier the canvas. "The piece of art is taking shape - the brief for me is to capture the Vaanar magic and its association with Bhakti." Similarly, she is also ideating on a range of Vaanar toys and figurines made of wood, which can be placed in kitchens, bedrooms, office cubicles and laptops. She is encouraging her clients to suggest ways to customise the presence of the Vaanars.

"These toys/figurines bring an instant smile to anyone's face. And the idea of having the mini-Hanumanjis in our midst is so empowering. It extends our imagination, it aligns us with our higher self." At this point in our national life, any art (popular or otherwise) that gives hope is welcome, she maintains. For her, the Vaanar form symbolises a multi-tasker agile force that can take on an uncertain world.

Gupta is drawn towards the Vaanar theme for personal reasons. Concepts like Swadhyay, Jaap and Prasad Buddhi electrify her. "I don't necessarily see them as religious, and am definitely unconnected and uninterested in the political connotations of some of these constructs, like Ram Sethu and Satsang," she clarifies, adding that the ‘Vaanar' turn of her art came post March 2020 when Gupta was locked in her apartment. "It was a phase for ample reflection, a time to reassess why I like to do what I like to do. My earlier body of work, in fact, had the seeds of my connection with mythological characters." Gupta's graduation project was based on a pictorial representation of a devotional Meerabai. Her design firm Iktara draws its central idea from the instrument espoused by the saint.

Like Meerabai, Gupta feels close to many mythological (part-historical) characters, which explains her sense of attachment for the Bhagwad Gita class she attended in the formative years. She reconnected with the text five years ago, which also became her vantage point to look at the popularity of Ramcharitmanas. She is aware that her Vaanar art has sprung from the choice of Hindu scriptures. "My childhood in Mumbai, especially schooling in Juhu's Arya Vidya Mandir, exposed me to a certain kind of dharm shiksha. That was the beginning of my meditative pen/ink illustrations," she recalls. Gupta, at a later point, would want to move on to other religious scriptures/texts, which can be an immense source of strength in COVID-19 times. "At this point, I am in touch with art galleries where I intend to represent stree shakti - borrowing from mythology and history, too." The artist is exploring the market for the Vaanar art, especially puppets and toys, which can be installed together like an enabling-empowering army in a hotel, a living room, or a reception lobby. She is playing around with wooden puppets in variable dimensions on book shelves or planters. There is one range styled around affirmation diaries too.

Gupta's Vaanars come only in black and white, which not just vibes well with her generally preferred colour scheme, but she also feels that the intriguing use of the monotone triggers thought. "When confronted with a mix of two evocative streams, one starts thinking of colours, and the various realities they represent. I feel black and white brings a real-life dimension to my Vaanars." The dual colours indeed tickle a lot of grey spots.

Sumedha Raikar-Mhatre is a culture columnist in search of the sub-text. You can reach her at sumedha.raikar @mid-day.com