Who is Krishna? Was he a reality that was unimaginably strange or a myth that was too mythical to be thought? The true nature of Krishna is still a mystery and people often present their own interpretation and understanding of this great man who is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Artists especially have been conceiving Krishna as a major theme in their artworks for a long time now. A normal person with an intellect would not be able to understand the greats of Krishna because it seems too fictional and magical for a human to possess such unmatched personality characteristics. An artist, on the other hand, tries his/her best by understanding the traits of Lord Krishna.
IMHO, we are still learning as all that is said about Lord Krishna and is available is just a drop of the vast ocean. This is why painters across India and the world ensure to weave new and curious versions of Krishna in their artworks so as to understand the true essence of this supernatural character of Hindu mythology.
Lord Krishna paintings and the Artists
Whenever an artist plays with his/her creative mind to craft a stupendous visual image on the canvas or any other medium, it is believed that along with the work, he/she is also lifting up the consciousness level. Even the scientists agree that observing and even creating artworks helps a part of the brain to get stimulated. This part of the brain is known for developing the creative flair.
In the similar fashion, when an artist depicts Krishna in a painting, there are several hidden interpretations stringed to it. For instance, if the artist is making the eyes of Krishna, it is similar to reviving the light in the deepest part of his/her soul.
Similarly, painting the peacock feather of the gets the artist to get completely submerged in Krishna’s divinity. This is absolutely amazing. An artist feeling the spiritual feeling while painting Krishna, isn’t it?
Imagine, you are crafting the hands of Krishna imagining you are the flute and painting his feet to depict the devotion you hold for him. A lot of artists have thus admitted getting completely immersed in the purity, electrifying nature, and piousness of Lord Krishna.
Lord Krishna paintings and the creativity
An artist feels ecstasy and joy when an exquisite and creative piece of work is successfully crafted. Creativity does come from within the soul with factors such as imagination, intuition, and inspiration playing a crucial role in nurturing and stimulating your inner self.
When an artist intentionally brings creativity into the work, his/her mind is elevated and transmits likewise vibrations to the universe. This draws everything that is on the same vibrational level. That is how creativity that artists utilise to craft extravagant Lord Krishna paintings brings them closer to the feeling of divinity because the theme is the Supreme Being.
Artists across the centuries have been involved in crafting some of the aesthetic pieces of artworks of Krishna utilising mediums such as clay, wood, glass, dried leaves and canvas with the strokes of brush. The colours used are typically processed from dyes, chemicals, and green vegetation to construct some of the vivacious and appealing combinations.
Traditional Indian art with Krishna as the theme:
There are various traditional art forms that are majorly based on the life and tales of Lord Krishna. Some of them are:
Basohli paintings
This style of traditional art has its root in Jammu & Kashmir state’s area named as Basohli. Mountainous range holds the birth of this art form. The original form was meant to only smoothen the Kangra paintings but later on, this art style took Radha and Krishna as its main subject matter. Inspired by Jayadevas ‘Gita Govinda’, this art form depicts the life of Krishna with stupendous imitation and unmatched artistry.
Uttar Pradesh paintings
The art form comes from the native place of Krishna, Vrindavan, and Mathura. Artists make sure to carve the scenarios from the events from Bhagwat Purana where Krishna is seeing performing ‘Ras’ (dance) with Gopis on the banks of Yamuna. Krishna, amidst the dance, disappears owing to his notorious yet charming nature giving birth to the term ‘Lilas’. Thus, the entire scenario reflected by the artists is known as ‘Ras Lila’ and is an extremely famed depiction in the Lord Krishna paintings.
Pattachitra paintings
Getting its root from the state of Odisha, Pattachitra paintings were originally inspired by the Bhakti movement. The entire theme of this form of Indian art swirls around Lord Jagannath. Made using the natural colours such as vegetables and minerals, these paintings are done on the dried palm leaves that are utilised as a canvas. This painting is another form of art that revolves around Lord Krishna and his life events.
Madhubani paintings
This form of traditional Indian art comes straight from the Mithila region of Bihar and is basically done to represent natural objects such as sun and moon along with the depiction of Lord Krishna. The most intriguing part of this style of art is that no empty space is left in the paintings and the void is often filled with patterns, designs, and birds.
