The Portrait of a Tree in a Jharokha
76.8 x 63.5 cm
Watercolor, Gouache and Gold Foil on Wasli Paper
2024
Jharokha is a stone window, characteristic of Indian architecture, protruding from the wall of a building on the upper floor of a Haveli or Palace, overlooking a street, market, court or other open spaces. Because of this position, a Jharokha is often used as a pulpit, and the portraits of male rulers are often depicted from such a window in Indian miniature
paintings.
The concept of work takes reference from existing Indian Mughal miniatures paintings, in which portraits of kings and princes are depicted in architectural settings. I replaces the image of a ruler in Jharokha with a tree. Here, the tree becomes the protagonist acknowledging the plant intelligence and giving voice to the plants.
To cultivate the ability to envision flora as regal figures, this work seeks to champion the idea of granting personhood to the botanical world, challenging the prevailing patriarchal attitude towards ecology. This painting reflects on the interconnectedness of nature and humanity, to subvert the traditional attitudes that marginalize the significance of
ecological balance.
What kind of world would we inhabit if trees were the rulers and kings?