My friends @gautam_khot and @sonalimadbhavi asked me to paint this panel with the Theyyam and Kali motif a couple of months ago. The panel was to be placed alongside a wall that displays masks from across the world – masks that the two have lovingly collected over the years on their travels.
My first thought was to paint an elaborate detail-oriented panel but Sonali was very clear about what she wanted. The panel needed to be part of and still stand separate from the collection of masks.
The decision to paint the two motifs almost as masks ended up being the right choice after all 🙂
I added the flowers on either side of the two main motifs as elements to balance the starkness of the two faces on the panel.
