November

The 1984 genocide of the Sikhs resulted in a series of paintings, drawings and etchings called ‘World Goes On’ that were shown in Delhi and Mumbai in 1985 and Calcutta and other cities later. One of them is in the National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi and two are in Kunstmuseum, Dusseldorf, Germany.

One, from Dr. Narinder Kapany’s collection, currently hangs in the new Sikh Art gallery in the Smithsonian, Washington, D.C. One of these series won the prestigious Triennele award in 1986.

In 1984, houses of Sikhs were set on flame and the men dragged out and burnt, hence the ‘tongue of flame’. The musician / artist is trying, in the middle of the shower of knives, to cool that killer flame in the blue pool of his music, for art does strive for a peaceful and harmonious world, free of conflict. The primary colors yellow, blue and red and the musician are inspired by Indian miniatures.