November

Although primarily known for our paintings, we've developed our artistic expression (both in style and technique) extensively over the years using other mediums such as digital creative software and film. Poetry also plays a key part in our work. Three of our films ('King Cotton: An Artists' Tale', 'Nineteen Eight-Four and the Via Dolorosa Project' and 'The Making of Liverpool', are all narrated through poetry and many of our paintings have been interpreted by us through poems that offer a detailed interpretation of the stories they tell. Some of these have been published in book form.

For example 'Bindhu's Weddings' (published in 1999 and focusing on our earliest paintings of British Asian culture) explores family life and cultural traditions associated with Punjabi weddings, observed through the eyes of a Punjabi child (our little sister Bindhu). Another artwork (a portrait of our father titled, 'All That I Am'), depicted on the December page of this calendar, is similarly interpreted through the poetic verses that accompany it. Our interest in poetry did not escape the attention of our father. In 1990 whilst away studying in India, he sent us a book, 'The Penguin Rhyming Dictionary', which has remained an invaluable resource for our creative writing.

Featured here on the November page is one of our latest artworks - another portrait and tribute to our dear father titled 'The Perfect Garden' which portrays memories of his childhood, his life achievements, and his personality through the symbolism of flowers. The main theme of this work is summed up in the poetic verse below his portrait. The artwork also expresses the respect and love for nature which we inherited from him.

Our interest in plant and floral symbolism takes inspiration from world cultures and religions, including the sacred writings of the Sikh faith which uses beautiful and thought provoking analogies from nature to describe human characteristics and the human condition - especially the soul's relationship with God. For example, the God centered person who lives in the material world without being effected by its vices is symbolised through the imagery of the lotus which blossoms above the water to face the sun, whilst rooted in the mud. The tree that offers shade against the scorching sun is used to represent Divine protection and grace.

Whilst the garden takes on a spiritual dimension, representing the inner soul where one cultivates virtues that bring us closer to the Divine.