Artist Mrinal Singh, a native of Madhubani, Bihar, received widespread appreciation for his dual artwork “Purusha–Prakriti” at the three-day art exhibition “Srijan,” organized at Lalitya Art Gallery, New Delhi, from January 23. Through this work, the artist attempts to connect the foundational principles of Mithila (Madhubani) painting with Sankhya philosophy and the concept of Advaita. His Kachni style is highly captivating and presents a strong and distinctive artistic identity within the art world.
Adhering to the principles of Sankhya philosophy, Advaita thought, and Mithila painting, the artist seeks to represent a dualistic existence in which consciousness and matter, though distinct, remain deeply interconnected realities. Mithila painting follows the convention of drawing with double lines, which the artist uses symbolically to express this philosophical interrelationship.
Purusha signifies pure consciousness or the soul. It is inactive, eternal, immutable, and beyond the attributes of the material world. Through these artworks, the artist portrays Purusha in the form of Shiva—formless, observant with open eyes, and embodying an equal existence as Ardhanarishvara.
On the other hand, Prakriti represents the primordial element or matter. It is active, dynamic, and the source of all physical and mental phenomena. It creates and nurtures life. In the artwork, Nandi and the lion symbolize creation. The flowing Ganga from Shiva’s matted hair represents the imparting of direction and purpose to aimless nature, while the moon placed atop symbolizes balance. Prakriti is also known as Shakti, inseparable from Shiva’s Ardhanarishvara form.
The artist interprets Shiva’s trident (Trishul) as the three qualities of nature—Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. Furthermore, Shiva’s musical instrument, the Damaru, depicted in a two-dimensional form, represents the four ages (Yugas), creating the illusion of the infinite cyclical movement of life and evolution. This concept has been portrayed with remarkable boldness in the artwork.
Distinguished guests attending the exhibition, Dr. Mrs. Shashi Bala, Joint Director, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, and Mr. K. L. Ganju, Advisor to the External Affairs Minister, praised the artist, stating that this is an active effort to bring Indian culture and folk art into the mainstream, thereby providing folk art with a new dimension.
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