Rasa: Essence of India

Natasha Kumar

The RASA story begins about 10 years ago, when Natasha Kumar first began

sketching the chhatri, that essential element of North Indian architecture. Often ornate, intricately carved, with a dome and eaves that combine Hindu and Moghul design, the chhatri rapidly became a central theme in her work.

The elegant symmetry of the pillars, the detailed carving of the base, splashes of raw pigment left behind after a puja, were all fascinating for her. To express the moods evoked by the chhatris at different times in the day, she took colours and contrasts from everyday Rajasthani life; bold fluorescing pinks and oranges, dark russet and turquoise.

Over time, village street-art, the Raga cycles, stories from the Hindu pantheon all became competing subject matter for her artistic development. Until, drawing the Royal Chhatris at Bundi, Rajasthan, Natasha looked up and discovered the concentric circles carved on the underside of a chhatri dome. And so the RASA collection began.

In Hindi, rasa is essence or emotion. Moving from figurative to abstract, the RASA collection captures within the harmony of the circles, the essence of emotion evoked by the chhatri. Thinking of the image as a mandala, symbolizing the universe, with the planets circling in celestial harmony around a bindu, the centre of everything, made her next step in the series a natural one.

The Rasa Mandala catches the moment when time stood still in the Rasa Lila, Krishna’s transcendent dance, the essence of divine love. A striking contemporary reinterpretation of the classic Hindu story, combining etching and screenprint, it gives us a glimpse of the gopis ethereal experience, each simultaneously hand in hand with Krishna in their sacred circle.

The Rasa Sphere completes the collection, tracking the gopis as they dance between heaven and earth over one Brahma night, lasting for millions of human years.

Natasha Kumar is an established British-Indian artist. She has been exhibiting for over twenty years and is her work is collected world wide.

RASA Essence of India

Royal Chhatris series XXIXEtching and monoprint 77 x 56cms (image size) 104 x 82cms (framed size)Window mounted, acid free mount, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under glass.unique Stock No. 1812

Royal Chhatris series XXVIIEtching and monoprint77 x 56cms (image size) 104 x 82cms (framed size)Window mounted, acid free mount, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under glass.unique Stock No. 1794

Royal Chhatris series XXVIIIEtching and monoprint77 x 56cms (image size) 104 x 82cms (framed size)Window mounted, acid free mount, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under glass.unique Stock No. 1811

Rasa Series XIVEtching and monoprint67x 67.5cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free mountboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 2 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1799

Natasha KumarRasa Series XIIEtching and monoprint67x 67.5cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free mountboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 2 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1798

Natasha KumarRasa Series XIEtching and monoprint67x 67.5cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free mountboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 2 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1797

Rasa Series IXEtching and monoprint67x 67.5cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free mountboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 2 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1796

Rasa Series II (triptych)Etching and monoprint54 x 54cms (3 x image size) 68 x 184 x 4.5cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free painted backboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 3 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1962

Rasa Lila (series 9/9)Etching, monoprint and screenprint83 x 55.5cms (image size) 67 x 93cms (framed size)Conservation Framing: 5 mil float mount, box frame (spray white), white fillets / spacer, non refelective glass - microgardunique Stock No. 1664

Rasa Lila (series 8/9)Etching, monoprint and screenprint83 x 55.5cms (image size) 67 x 93cms (framed size)Conservation Framing: 5 mil float mount, box frame (spray white), white fillets / spacer, non refelective glass - microgardunique Stock No. 1663

Rasa Lila (series 5/9)Etching and screenprint83 x 55.5cms (image size) 67 x 93cms (framed size)Conservation Framing: 5 mil float mount, box frame (spray white), white fillets / spacer, non refelective glass - microgardunique Stock No. 1660

Rasa Mandala Series IVEtching, monoprint and screenprint80 x 107cms (framed size) 54 X 79cms (image size)Window mounted, acid free mount, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under glass.unique Stock No. 1687

Rasa Mandala Series XIIEtching, monoprint, screenprint with 22 carat moon-gold leaf67x 67.5cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free mountboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 2 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1928

Rasa Mandala Series XVIIIEtching, monoprint, screenprint with 22 carat gold leaf67 x 67.5 cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free mountboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 2 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1952

Rasa Mandala Series XIVEtching, monoprint and screenprint67 x 67.5 cms (image size)6 mil float mount, acid free mountboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 2 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1930

Rasa Mandala Series XIIIEtching, monoprint and screenprint67 x 67.5 cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free mountboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 2 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1929

Rasa Mandala Series II (triptych)Etching, monoprint and screenprintframe size (186x 72 x 4.5cm), 3 x image size (54 x 54cm)6 mil float mount, acid free painted backboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 3 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1963

Rasa Sphere Series XIXEtching, monoprint and screenprint67 x 67.5cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free mountboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 2 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1821

Rasa Sphere Series XIIIEtching and monoprint with 22 carat gold leaf67 x 67.5cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free mountboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 2 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1807

Rasa Sphere Series XXVEtching and monoprint with 22 carat gold leaf67 x 67.5cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free mountboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 2 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1961

Rasa Sphere Series XXVIIEtching and monoprint with 22 carat moon-gold leaf67 x 67.5cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free mountboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 2 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1949

Natasha KumarRasa Sphere Series XXIIIEtching and monoprint with 22 carat gold leaf67 x 67.5cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free mountboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 2 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1943

Rasa Sphere Series XVIIEtching, monoprint and screenprint67 x 67.5cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free mountboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 2 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1820

Natasha KumarRasa Sphere Series XXIVEtching and monoprint67 x 67.5cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free mountboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 2 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1946

Rasa Sphere Series VIIIEtching and monoprint with 22 carat gold leaf67 x 67.5cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free mountboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 2 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1717

Rasa Sphere Series I (triptych)Etching and monoprint54 x 54cms (3 x image size) 68 x 184 x 4.5cms (framed size)6 mil float mount, acid free painted backboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 3 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1964

Natasha KumarCarved Jali Triptych Series IIIEtching and monoprint with 22 carat moon-gold leaf, pigment and wash68x 51cms (3x image size) 88 x180cms (frame)6 mil float mount, acid free painted backboard, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under 3 mil float glassunique Stock No. 1922

Carved Jali Series XXXEtching and monoprint76 cms x 61cms (image size) 86 x 103 (framed size)framed under glass with an acid free mountunique

Stock No. 1684

Carved Jali Series XXVIIIEtching and monoprint76 cms x 61cms (image size) 86 x 103 (framed size)Window mounted, acid free mount, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under glass.unique Stock No. 1682

Mughal Window Series XVEtching with 22 carat moon-gold leaf, pigment and wash68 x 48 cms (image size) 71 x 93 cms (framed size)Window mounted, acid free mount, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under glass.unique Stock No. 1588

Mughal Window Series IVEtching and Collograph with 22 carat gold leaf, pigment and wash43.5 x 64.5cm (image size) 66.5 x 89 cms (framed size)Window mounted, acid free mount, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under glass.unique Stock No. 1902

Indian Window series XXEtching with silver metal, pigment and wash75 x 47 cms (image size) 74 x 103 cms (framed size)Window mounted, acid free mount, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under glass.unique Stock No. 914

Indian Window series XIVEtching with copper metal, pigment and wash45.5 x 73 cms (image size) 70 x 100 cms (framed size)Window mounted, acid free mount, dark stained and hand waxed wood frame under glass.unique Stock No. 790

Rasa: Essence of India

Natasha Kumar

The Royal Geographical Society1 Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AR.

13th Jan - 23rd Jan 2015(Mon - Fri 10am - 5pm)

The measurements are a rough guide.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require more information about any of works: info@natashakumar.co.uk

All works in the exhibition can be viewed online here www.natashakumar.co.uk

Natasha Kumar sketching in the Royal Chhatris, Bundi, Rajasthan