Evil eye – Nazar

…then came the ‘kala teeka’ advice from friends and family. I have cute kids even if I say so myself. And with friends saying nazar lag jayegi… the full kala teeka/nazar battoo idea was born. As a rational educated woman I felt it beneath me to listen to old age superstition and yet the mother in me could not but listen. I would tell myself it’s only a little back dot behind the ear, do it, how does it matter… and so on. This led to a lot of active research and I found nazar battoos everywhere, in many cultures. Warding of the evil eye was a big thing. It was on cars and trucks, on new houses and old, outside shops, even in the thickly kohled eyes of innocent children. How could I not paint it. In fact three years later, the entire ‘nimboo mirchi series‘ on canvas was my cross over, albeit in a small way onto canvas with a more refined fine art approach to a theme that had been a constant in my life the last few years and still continues to be.
Thus was born the series on Nazar Battoo and it’s reference to so many Indian icons.
Note- the Nimboo Mirchi series is now available as prints here.