A Divine Love - 4ft x 2.5ft; Acrylics on Canvas

 

 

This scene is painted in the Kerala Mural style and is commonly found in most temples and palaces in Kerala. The scene shows Krishna and Radha in a lover’s embrace and is a very popular theme to be found on temple walls. Radha is the feminine aspect of Lord Krishna and is not separate from Krishna. This re-iterates the Hindu philosophy (and co-incidentally also Plato’s!) that every person has an other half perfectly fashioned for them and only when together, do they make a whole. The exchanges between Radha and Krishna to be found on temple walls symbolise supremely transcendental love that brings one a step closer to the divine.

Kerala murals are painted using shades of the 5 primary colours – Indigo, Terre Verte, Red Ochre, Yellow Ochre and Carbon Black. The whole painting is restricted to the use of these 5 shades and is very stylised in composition. I use acrylic colours and gesso but the methodology I use is exactly the same as is used in the original style, where they use vegetable dyes and lime.

This is my second Painting in this style and took AGES to paint! It took ages to paint the last one too.... By the time I'm midway through these murals, I've already started 3-4 other paintings to help me cope with my impatience... I think the results are well worth the impatience and frustrations. :) And so I'll most likely keep on with it! Might end up doing just one mural a year though....