"मस्तक" | Mastaka meaning “head” in Sanskrit and Nepali, is a series of ceramic works that blend Newa and Nepali visual traditions with playful alterations. This exhibition presents eleven pieces, each re-imagining various figures from Nepali mythology, rituals and beliefs as well as a few contemporary pop culture icons, through bold colours and whimsical forms, utilizing in-glaze lustre giving them magical iridescent and metallic energy/vibe.

Through this body of work, I explore the idea that objects (whether in holy, museum, cinematic, domestic or otherwise) possess energy and pulse within an unseen presence. These share our world - weaving their verve/spirit into our lives. My art reflects this animistic belief, which brings together respect for these spirits with a reverence for imagined divine energies that have existed for centuries. Part of my inspiration comes from cartoons and animated cinema. It has always drawn me into worlds of eccentricity and emotional expression, which have playful language that allows me to convey feelings that often evade my own words. I explore with different forms and styles, referencing playfulness, combining colourful and vibrant ideas of contemporary pop culture with traditional Newari/Nepali culture.

In this collection, like all my previous work - features the third eye prominently. It symbolize spiritual vision, inner awareness and connection to other realms. For me, the third eye depicts my own journey looking inward, into my personal universe. This is a recurring motif in my practice, tethering together the sacred and the imaginary.

I invite viewers to share in that reverence by connecting with visual play with the traditional forms and the imagined, through which the heads become a portal into worlds both real and fantastical.

These work were created during three-month long residency at Lefebvre & Fils in Versailles and were exhibited at their gallery in Paris.

Photo credit: Anthony Girardi