Kenistudio

Someone recently asked me why I paint. I didn't have an answer. Although, "I paint because I enjoy painting" is a perfectly appropriate answer, I would not say that it encompasses every aspect of my affinity towards creativity. The answer to this question is not easy. I had asked this very same question to myself when I was treating my patients as a dentist. Initially, I found satisfaction in knowing that because of my knowledge and skill, I could make a person's life better, maybe ease their pain, or give them a better quality of life. But later on, I began to understand that doing something for another person gives me a false sense of importance. Also, patients can ignore my advice, choose somebody else, misunderstand what I said, or simply make decisions I couldn't possibly control. If my sense of meaning depended on the other person's response, I was handing part of my inner equilibrium to them. Now, whatever I do, I try to do it with the understanding tha...

Beyond the Three Paces - Capturing Mahabali’s True Sacrifice in the Vamana Avatar Painting   Finding the perfect narrative moment to depict an Avatar of Vishnu is always a spiritual and a creative challenge. My goal is never to just illustrate a story. It is to capture the absolute essence and philosophical core of the Avatara.  When I began conceptualizing the Vamana Avatar painting, I knew I had to go beyond the usual dynamic imagery of the three paces and Trivikrama’s giant form. Those are powerful moments, but they are not the central points. My composition is a direct expression of the Avatar's core: Atma Nivedana, or the total surrender of oneself. The true resolution of the Vamana story isn't about Mahabali losing his kingdom. It is about his offering. Him realizing that after everything else has been claimed, the only real thing he could offer is his own self. He asks Vamana, who is both the Supreme Lord and his beloved guest, to place the final step upon his ego, effe...

Painting Matsya Avatar - The Spiritual Irony of Protecting the Protector The first of the Dashavatara series painting, the Matsya Avatara, looked quite straightforward in the beginning. A huge fish, Matsya, guiding the precious ship of survivors through the roaring pralaya waters. But I thought, what is the true essence of this avatara? The answer was protection. Of course, we know who protects us. Who other than Lord ShriHari has the capability to sustain the universe? ​A few days later, I was reading a passage from the Bhagavata Purana where Krishna is ready to leave Indraprastha for Dwaraka after the Pandavas have settled in. Yudhishthira, overflowing with love for Krishna, insists that the Lord cannot travel alone and requires bodyguards. It struck me as profound. Why would the Being who safeguards the entire cosmos need protection from mere thieves and wild animals? Yet Krishna accepts the gesture without a second thought. He is not filled with ego. He is complete. So, when He see...

Garuda vs Kaliya. My contemplation of the story from Shrimad Bhagavata Purana.  This is my oil-on-canvas painting that depicts Garuda attacking Kaliya, the serpent king, in an episode from the Shrimad Bhagavata Purana. I wanted to capture the moment when Kaliya’s pride brings him face to face with the consequences of his actions. The story begins in Ramanaka Island, where the serpent race lived under the fear of Garuda, the mighty carrier of Lord Vishnu. To maintain peace, the serpents offered Garuda his share of food at regular intervals. But Kaliya, swollen with pride, began consuming the offerings himself. This was not merely an act of hunger. Kaliya’s action reflected his refusal to respect the order that protected his people. He believed that his strength and venom gave him the right to take what belonged to another. His arrogance eventually brought Garuda upon him. Garuda attacked Kaliya, striking him with his powerful wings. Wounded and defeated, Kaliya fled Ramaṇaka Island ...

 The Quiet Grace of Adivaraha: A Reflection on Divine Kindness and Sadhana ​ When we think of the Varaha Avatara, the mind often conjures images of fierce celestial battles. But when I sat down to paint Adivaraha for my Dashavatara series, I didn't want to capture the fury of battle. He can become fierce. But that fierceness is not the essence of the avatara.  ​I wanted to capture His quiet, unshakeable calm. ​I wanted to paint the serene face of a protector who lifts everything that exists with absolute grace. All because the higher jeevas, endowed with bodies, sadhana-sharira, longed for a realm to perform sadhana and ultimately attain moksha. ​This is the true, overwhelming kindness of the Supreme Lord. He doesn't just grant us our spiritual journey. He builds and sustains the very floor beneath our feet so that we might walk toward Him. ​The Weightless Universe and the Primordial darkness ​In this composition, the backdrop is a deep, swirling darkness. The Lakshmyatmaka Ta...