Shiva and the Ganges
Most depictions of Lord Shiva show the River Ganga flowing from his hair, this is the story behind this:
There once was a powerful King called Sagar, who was about to conduct a horse sacrifice, to show his power over all of the Gods. Indra, the King of Heaven became jealous of this and stole the horse. He hid the horse in the ashram of a Sage who was meditating. King Sagar and his 60,000 sons found the horse in the ashram and began assaulting the Sage, as they thought he was the culprit. The Sage woke up from his meditation and killed all of his sons. King Sagar pleaded for forgiveness. The sage told him that he could take their souls to heaven and save the life of his grandson if the River Ganga came down from the heavens to purify their souls.
The force of the River Ganga flowing down from the heavens would destroy everything on Earth. So they sought the help of Lord Shiva. As he would be the only one who could withstand the power of Ganga, to break up her descent. Thus, Ganga fell on Shiva’s head, and he calmly let her out in small streams.
This painting is a depiction of this story, one can see the River Ganga flowing from Shiva’s hair, down through the lingam, through Ganesha into Gangotri (the source of the River Ganga on earth) and then eventually into Benares/Varanasi – the City of Death and Rebirth. The artist has included so much hidden detail within this artwork, leaving you mesmerised in awe.
Artist: Giampaolo Tomassetti, Original Media: Oil on Canvas
£ 175.00 – £ 1,200.00
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Srila Prabhupada
£ 108.00 – £ 550.00 BUYTo commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of the Founder Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness – A.C. Bhaktivedanta Srila Prabhupada we are happy to unveil this new artwork by Italian artist Pietro Di Giovannantonio, fondly known as Prasanta Das, to celebrate the life and works of this phenomenal spiritual leader, who worked tirelessly to spread the power of Krishna Consciousness across the world.
In just twelve years, in spite of his advanced age, Srila Prabhupada circled the globe fourteen times that took him to six continents. His writings constitute a library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture. He wrote 51 volumes of books with translations in 28 languages, notably the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam. He established 108 temples in most major cities around the world and touched many people who can now carry on the teachings of his philosophy.
Das depicts Srila Prabhupada in a quiet, reflective state. His hands intertwined with each other, his face composed and stoic. He is surrounded by nature, and yet doesn’t overshadow its presence. Srila Prabhupada wears austere orange robes and sits on a seat painted red. These colours can be overpowering, and yet, in this piece, they are given a muted hue. This artwork reflects the teachings of Srila Prabhupada, who said humans suffer because of their constant struggle to conquer nature in pursuit of happiness rather than co-exist alongside it, thus creating a false consciousness. Material comforts are nothing but Maya, an illusion of freedom, when the reality is humans have never been as bound by laws as they are now. To break away from this illusion, Srila Prabhupada said, is to revive the pure Krishna Consciousness that lies dormant within all who walk this Earth.
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Spirit Element: Water
£ 95.00 – £ 990.00 BUYWater belongs to a series of 5 paintings in art-ma’s collection, each relating to one of the classical elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Air and Space. This collection created by Ovidiu Kloska, is a compilation of abstract paintings, featuring heavy textures in rich colours, resulting in contemporary artwork that is both fascinating and dramatic.
Water is a symbol of purity, fertility, life, motion, renewal, and transformation. Although the elements are significant across many cultures, in the Upanishad, an ancient scripture from Hinduism, it refers to the elements being used for spiritual growth.
“From Atman (your inner self) did space come into being;
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– Taittirīya UpaniṣhadIn this painting the bright bold colours of different shades of light and dark blue and white, with the big brush strokes of Acrylic on canvas, create a beautiful piece of artwork in Kloska’s series of the five elements.
Artist: Ovidiu Kloska, Original Media: Acrylic on Canvas
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Guru Nanak
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In this beautiful depiction by Italian artist Giampaolo Tomassetti, the artist uses a vibrant golden hue to depict His aura as being brighter than the sun. His meditative pose and gentle eyes reflect a quiet wisdom. In one hand He holds a white rose in his hand symbolising purity of thought and the transient nature of life, and in the other He hold prayer beads.
On the right a discipline stands head bowed in reverence to the Guru, holding the Nishan Sahib (Sikh flag) with Khanda emblem in the centre. This signifies the power of God, spiritual sovereignty, oneness and the unity of humanity.
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