religious art

Nature celebrates the divine love between Krishna and Radha, teaching the world a lesson of resilient and innocent romance. Intense colours take over this classic Madhubani painting by Bharti Dayal, whose expert brushstrokes adorn the deities with luxurious garments and cultural elements of captivating allure.

The piece arrives signed and unstretched.

When Krishna played the flute for his beloved Radha, the whole forest came to listen to those stunning melodies. Using classic techniques, India's Bharti Dayal portrays this sacred scene in this Madhubani painting made with acrylic and vegetable dyes, whose bold hues depict nature's beauty as divine as Krishna's presence.

The artwork arrives signed and unstretched.

Balinese artist Made Pasek Kusuma Wijay chooses to express his plea for world peace in a painting depicting a woman's prayer. "The state of the world is not fine, given the many wars, conflicts between countries and very heartbreaking human tragedies," says the artist. "Let us pray sincerely that the world situation will return to peace as we strive to live a more simple, carefree life with mutual respect and tolerance between our existing differences. Despite the conditions of the world, we always yearn for peace itself.

"Galloping across a surreal mountain landscape, a team of horses carries forward the hope of an entire society from the lofty reality of the highlands to the life of the commoner below. Riding on the back of a bird resembling the Hindu god of strength, Garuda, a faceless woman prays to the divine spirits, having passed through a period of blood and turbulence. Garuda also prays with his human-like hands as if to encourage himself to continue his mission of vigilance.

"Reflected in the grass of the mountains, the woman's prayers mirror above and below the path of the raptor, symbolizing the transverse support from across the country for her mission. A handshake arises from the woman's mind in a floral accord between two immortal parties.

"In a world plagued by conflict and the horrors of violence, the woman's prayer, the subtle handshake and the impressive flight of the god of strength prescribe peace for all of humanity. Realism cannot deliver this humane desire to reality.

"Scaled to surreal proportions, the woman's prayers make multiple appearances in increasing size, while the mighty bird soars above an entire team of horses, with various hands apparent."

Surrounded by lush leaves, the face of Buddha is hand-carved from crocodile wood. Balinese artisan Gung Gus creates this striking and reverent wall sculpture, featuring a hand-painted finish with floral and bird motifs on Buddha's face.

Hanuman, a monkey devotee to Lord Rama, meets with Rama's lover, Sita, in this beautifully-crafted relief panel from Bali. Ketut Sandi creates this depiction from the Hindu epic Ramayana, diligently hand-carving this scene from a slab of cempaka wood. The duo is realized with stunningly intricate details, surrounded by a vast jungle.

Krishna and Radha express their divine love in a pair of traditional Madhubani paintings that capture the celestial and passionate nature of the couple. Indian artist Sarita Devi portrays both deities in a thriving forest where fruits and flowers grow radiantly, all made with vegetal dyes on paper to create a colourful image in honour of the gods' benevolence and blessings.

Each artwork comes signed and unstretched.

Sitting serenely in meditation, Lord Ganesha clasps his hands as though in prayer. This image comes from Nengah Sudarsana, who transforms Balinese suar wood into art. The most sculpted icon of the Hindu pantheon, Ganesha's rotund belly is the kingly attribute of receiving and keeping secret information. His ears symbolize his acute hearing, and his wide forehead represents his great intelligence.

With this relief panel, Indonesian artisan Wayan Rendah pays homage to the Hindu goddess Saraswati. Surrounded by nature and flanked by peacocks, the four-armed goddess holds a lute in one hand. Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, music, art, wisdom, and learning, and makes up a trinity with Lakshmi and Parvati. This stunning relief is diligently hand-carved from suar wood with multiple layers that add intricacy and depth.