INSPIRE ME! Artist of Month for August is Teresa Mas (Again)

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

Baby Krishna by Teresa Mas

Since we began this journey in 2008, we've come across some truly amazing religious artists working in America but Teresa Mas stands out, and especially among Hindu artists. We first saluted her in December 2011 as our INSPIRE ME! Artist of the Month and she continues to fascinate and inspire with her fresh and colorful works. This month however is especially special because this month we are joining the 950 million followers of Hinduism around the world in celebrating the birth of the Hindu god Krishna. The holyday of "Krishna Janmachtami" is August 17th, and we are proud celebrate that "auspicious" day by featuring Florida artist Teresa Mas as our Artist of the Month.

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An Indian Sculptor With Monumental Ambition

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Gardiner Harris

Ram V. Sutar at his studio. Credit Kuni Takahashi for The New York Times

INDIA---He may be history’s most prolific monumental sculptor, and now he hopes to win what may be one of history’s largest artistic commissions. Ram V. Sutar, 89, has already created more than 200 distinct statues, many of them massive. Now, he is a leading contender for the commission to produce the world’s largest statue: a 597-foot-tall rendering — which would be nearly twice as high as the Statue of Liberty — of Sardar Patel, an independence leader who played a crucial role in uniting India’s fractious states. Called the Statue of Unity, the work is to be placed in the western state of Gujarat, where India’s new prime minister, Narendra Modi, was born, grew up and became a powerful politician. Mr. Modi has long pushed for the project, and his party’s landslide electoral victory in May vastly improved prospects for its completion. [link]

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The Stone: What Would Krishna Do? Or Shiva? Or Vishnu?

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Jonardon Ganeri

Baby Krishna by Teresa Mas

The essence of Hinduism is that it has no essence. What defines Hinduism and sets it apart from other major religions is its polycentricity, its admission of multiple centers of belief and practice, with a consequent absence of any single structure of theological or liturgical power. Unlike Christianity, Buddhism or Islam, there is no one single canonical text — the Bible, the Dialogues of the Buddha, the Quran — that serves as a fundamental axis of hermeneutical or doctrinal endeavor, recording the words of a foundational religious teacher. (The Veda is only the earliest in a diverse corpus of Hindu texts.) Hinduism is a banyan tree, in the shade of whose canopy, supported by not one but many trunks, a great diversity of thought and action is sustained. [link]

This is Gary Guttings ninth in a series of interviews about religion that I am conducting for The Stone. The interviewee for this installment is Jonardon Ganeri, currently a visiting professor of philosophy at New York University Abu Dhabi and the author of “The Lost Age of Reason: Philosophy in Early Modern India 1450–1700.”

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Miniature Art Works With a Hindu Touch

THE TIMES OF INDIA
By Zeenia Baria,TNN

Miniature art works with a religious touch

INDIA---Jaipur-based artist Ajay Garg is no stranger to Mumbai. Having exhibited his works in the city in the past, the talented artist is back with his latest collection of Rajasthani miniature paintings. The works, done in a traditional miniature style, feature Lord Ganesha, Krishna, Shrinathji and other religious figures. A miniature art work can at times be as small as just four to five inches and is filled with a plethora of details. Recent works by Ajay Garg can be viewed at Jehangir Art Gallery, AC - III, 161-B, M G Road, Kala Ghoda, from August 4 to 10, 11 am to 7 pm.  [link]

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Hindu Mythology-Based Card Game Becomes an Instant Hit

THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL 

In the card game, Narakasura is portrayed as Maha Yodha

INDIA---A strategy card game, unique for being based on Hindu mythology, has recently hit the market, capturing the attention of a sizable number of gamers, says IANS. Maha Yodha, or great warrior, is the name of the card game described by its co-creator, Sagar Shankar, as an “epic battle-themed strategic card game based on stories from Hindu mythology.” It is a two-deck set of 42 cards each, divided between the “Aditya” and “Asura” factions of gods and demons who battle each other with their legendary weapons and magic scrolls, all represented in the cards. The imagery on the cards uses Odisha’s famed Pattachitra art form, modernized by game designer and co-founder Chandan Mohanty. This is the first Indian game to be funded through the Kickstarter crowd funding platform for projects, Maha Yodha co-creator Sagar Shankar told IANS. [link]

Warriors have flavor text with little history tidbits about the characters.

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2 Buddhist Sites to be Declared 'Protected Monuments'

THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
By P Laxma Reddy

Two lime stone pillars that were unearthed at Pondugula village near Mylavaram in Krishna district. A close up of the pillars that have the engravings of Lotus Medallions and bricks belonging to Amravati School of Art | P Ravindra Babu

INDIA---Due to the concerted efforts of the officials of Archeology and Museums Department, Vijayawada, a Buddhist site each in Guntur and Krishna districts will soon be declared the ‘protected monuments’. One of the Buddhist sites is located atop Bhairavakonda Hillock at Vaikuntapuram village in Thullur mandal of Guntur district and the process for allotting the site to the archeology department is underway, archeology and museums assistant director K Chitti Babu has said. [link]

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Hindu Deities Get Muscular Makeovers; A Ripped Vishnu

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
By Shefali Anand

Hindu deity Shiva is shown as a warrior chieftain in a graphic novel. Vimanika Comics

INDIA---India's Hindu gods and goddesses are getting a superhero makeover. In new comics, paintings and popular books, depictions of Vishnu, Rama and other greats in the Hindu pantheon are being reimagined to give the deities broad shoulders, six-pack abs, flashy get-ups and smoldering good looks. The changes are part of a reimagining of Hindu stories that supporters say makes them more relevant to India's middle-class youth, who are navigating a far different world than the one in which their parents lived. [link]

Tradition depiction of Lord Vishnu and his wife, goddess Lakshmi. Courtesy Anil Vishal Printers

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India Aims to Make Forlorn City a Model for Revival

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Stephanie Strom

Graham Crouch for The New York Times

INDIA---The big question on many minds here is: How long will the electricity last? Since Narendra Modi was elected prime minister in May, residents in this forlorn city on the Ganges — at least those with wiring — have had near constant electricity, compared with the failures totaling as much as eight to 10 hours a day in the past. Mr. Modi has promised to tackle Varanasi’s legion of problems and turn this holiest — and one of the dirtiest — of Hindu cities into a showcase of Indian culture and small business undergirded by better infrastructure. The city also should benefit from other budget goals, including 1 billion rupees designated for repairing historic ghats, 2 billion rupees to support craft textile manufacturing and a 5 billion rupee package aimed at enhancing the so-called tourist circuit that encompasses Sarnath, Varanasi and Gaya, cities holy to Hindus and Buddhists. [link]

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In The Shadow of Hindu Art, India's G. Raman and Veerasanthanam

THE HINDU
By Sujataha Shankar Kumar

Tholu Bommalattam uses translucent leather puppets that are coloured or black
and white, their forms inspired by temple friezes. Photo: K. V. Srinivasan

INDIA---G. Raman and Veerasanthanam are two senior Chennai artists, who have merged Indian shadow puppetry, with its craft, tradition and mythology, into the scheme of painting with a wonderful effervescence. To any Indian, Veerasanthanam’s themes will strike familiar and easy chords — the sacred Kamadhenu, the exotic tree of life, two figures hugging a tree and environmental concerns; as do G. Raman’s extrapolations recalling traditional art, pastoral scenes or street-life as a pair of bards travelling. What’s common between them is the vivid and unabated use of colour and intensity of line work. [link]

ree of LIfe by Veerasanthanam

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Demolition of Dolmens Continues Unfettered in Dannanapeta

THE TIMES OF INDIA

INDIA---The Dolmens of Dannanapeta, megalithic structures dating back to 1000 BC, could be lost forever unless something is done urgently by the state government to secure them, feel heritage conservationists. They are alarmed at the fact that almost a month after news reports highlighted the plight of such ancient sites in Srikakulam district, the authorities are yet to wake up and secure the once majestic dolmens. This particular site in Srikakulam district, which is one of the few megalithic sites in the world to be still standing, has been vandalized by locals and encroached upon by none other than the government. [link]

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Utah Museum Exhibits Explore Art and Hindu Belief

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS NEWS
By TAHLIB

Bhajan Ashram at Dawn, Vrindavan, India, 2003. Archival carbon inkjet print on handmade
Hahnemuhle photo rag 308 g/m2 paper. © Fazal Sheikh; courtesy Pace/McGill Gallery, New York.

UTAH---The Utah Museum of Fine Arts at the University of Utah is pleased to announce two exhibitions exploring Hinduism in art. The first is "Moksha" a visual story by artist-activist Fazal Sheikh about the widows who've taken refuge in India's holy city of Vrindavan and their hopes of achieving moksha, or heavenly release. A companion exhibition to Moksha that explores the Hindu god Krishna—and the concepts of bhakti (devotion) and moksha (salvation)—through sacred and secular artworks, dating from the 11th century to the 20th, from the UMFA's Asian art collection. Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) mission is to engage visitors in discovering meaningful connections with the artistic expressions of the world's cultures.

Utah Museum of Fine Arts: "Moksha: Photography by Fazal Sheikh" (Ends November 30, 2014) 410 Campus Center Drive, Salt Lake City, UT; (801) 581-7332; umfa.utah.edu

Utah Museum of Fine Arts: "Krisha: Lord of Vrindavan" (August 8–November 30, 2014); 410 Campus Center Drive, Salt Lake City, UT; (801) 581-7332; umfa.utah.edu

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Urban Outfitters Pulls Lord Ganesh Duvet Cover After Hindus Protest

THE HUFFINGTON POST
By Heather Adams

Decorative or artistic depictions are more appropriate than those
that have a functional purpose according to a Hindu activist living in Arizona

PENNSYLVANIA---Urban Outfitters has pulled a new duvet cover featuring Lord Ganesh after an outcry from some Hindus. The cover depicted the elephant-head Hindu deity who symbolizes wisdom. It was only available online and was sold for $129-$169. Now, the webpage is saying it is “sold out.” In a statement issued Monday (July 14), Urban Outfitters confirmed that the item was pulled. “It was never the intention for this item nor any of the items we carry that feature illustrations of Lord Ganesha to offend our customers,” the company said in a statement. [link]

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Raelian Swastika Campaign Calculated to Stoke Controversy

RELIGION DISPATCHES

History of the Swastika in world religions

ARIZONA---This weekend a plane flew over Coney Island and the Rockaways towing a banner with a swastika and an ad for proswastika.org, a new initiative by the Raelians—a religious movement that believes humans were created by ancient extra-terrestrials, and whose insignia is a swastika inside of a hexagram. According to Raelian spokesperson Thomas Kaenzig, the swastika was brought to Earth millions of years ago by our alien forefathers, which is presumably why Raelians believe the symbol appears in cultures all over the world. This weekend marked the end of “International Swastika Rehabilitation Week,” part of an attempt to reclaim the symbol from its Nazi associations which also featured street activism in Las Vegas. [link]

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Conceptual Artist Nina Yankowitz Plays Word Games With Sacred Texts

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Joyce Beckenstein

A mannequin styled as a priest, one of five “robotic devotees” in the exhibit.

NEW YORK---The artist Nina Yankowitz is known for projecting words in glass houses, and oh how they can shatter the place. For “Criss-Crossing the Divine,” her current exhibition at Guild Hall in East Hampton, she takes on sacred texts. “Criss-Crossing the Divine” combines scriptures, digital games, video art, three-dimensional animation and robotic avatars. Examining intolerance through the lens of five major religions — Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism — the lively, intuitive piece provides visitors with a different way to experience art, despite its rather serious implications. [link]

Nina Yankowitz: “Criss-Crossing the Divine” is at Guild Hall, 158 Main Street, East Hampton, through July 27. Information: guildhall.org or (631) 324-0806.

In addition to a priest, mannequins depicting a Jew, a Buddhist, a Hindu and a Muslim greet visitors.

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Crow Collection to Present Exhibit on Hindu God Krishna

DALLAS NEWS
By Deborah Fleck

TEXAS---B. G. (Banwarhlal Giridharlal) Sharma came from generations of devotional artists. But unlike many artists of miniature paintings, Sharma created original pictures rather than copying traditional works. During his later years, Sharma, who died in 2007, saw his life’s mission as bringing the caliber of art from the Mughal period of the 18th and 19th centuries to Indian paintings. Artwork from this later period make up the exhibit “Seeing and Believing: Krishna in the Art of B. G. Sharma,” at the Crow Collection of Asian Art, 2010 Flora St. in Dallas. The exhibit runs July 19 through Jan. 18. [link]

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India's National Museum Hosts First Art Exhibit by Private Donor

THE HINDU
By Ians

Some of the artefacts from South India on general display at the National Museum in New Delhi. Photo: R. V. Moorthy

INDIA---For the first time since its inception, the National Museum here will host an exhibition featuring artefacts from a private donor’s collection, an official said Tuesday. The month—long ‘A Passionate Eye’ exhibition will open Friday and showcase around 100 works from the private collection of art connoisseur C. L. Bharany and his father, all of which they collected from across India. Sculptures in stone, bronze and wood; paintings on paper and cloth; manuscripts and textiles from over the past two millennia will be shown in this exhibition curated by three experts. “It thus acknowledges one of many people who have helped gather items of our cultural heritage,” National Museum director general Venu V. said in a statement. “It highlights the role private collectors have played in enriching the nation’s public museums,” he added. [link]

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In God’s Shadow: New Delhi Gallery Explores Divinity in India's Eyes

THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
By Poonam Goel

J Sultan Ali’s Nagapanchami

INDIA---At the Delhi Art Gallery, a show of paintings depicting gods and goddesses is an expansive study of how artists have been inspired by the ‘divine’ from the earliest of times. And even though earlier depiction of gods have been mostly ritualistic, over time they have grown into an art form that is appreciated for art’s sake. The show titled "Indian Divine: Gods & Goddesses in 20th Century Modern Art" exhibits nearly 200 artworks by 80 artists and begins with late 19th century art on mythological and religious themes from regions as diverse as Bombay and Bengal. [link]

Madhvi Parekh’s Last Supper

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Indonesia Showing Hindu Ramayana Inspired Art Exhibition

OYE TIMES
By Tapa Menon

"The Search Through Love" by Nonia de la Rosa

INDONESIA---National Gallery of Indonesia (Galeri Nasional Indonesia) in Jakarta is currently holding an exhibition of digital artworks inspired by ancient Hindu text Ramayana. This solo exhibition of Spanish artist Nonia de la Rosa reportedly contains 25 digitally painted pictures and shall run till July 14. She came across Ramayana during her 2012 journey to India, and Indonesia became second stop in her further search, thus finally resulting in ancient Ramayana becoming the fundamental inspiration for these artworks, reports suggest. [link]

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How Church Sales Reflect the Shifting American Demographic

THE ATLANTIC
By Tanya Basu

In early June, I visited my hometown of Glendale Heights, about 25 miles west of Chicago. Making my way through the old avenues that had marked my childhood, I noticed something curious: The churches that had dominated the street corners of my suburban youth—from magnificent stone structures with ornate stained glass windows to homey, unmarked brick buildings—were either getting demolished or being sold to become Hindu temples. It’s not just in Chicago, and it’s not a unidirectional trend. Synagogues are becoming mosques, Baptists are changing hands with Korean congregations, pagodas are moving into office buildings. In Queens, “there is a former synagogue that is now a mosque," says Ellen Levitt. "At least two former synagogues are now Asian churches, and at least one former synagogue is now a Hindu temple.” [link]

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Nevada's Rajan Zed Says Hindus Upset About Kim Kardashian Artwork

EURASIA REVIEW

Nevada man is outraged by the depiction of Kim Kardashian as a Hindu diety.

NEVADA---Hindus are upset at the artwork depicting TV star Kim Kardashian, 33, as a Hindu deity, which they say hurt the feelings of devotees and is irreverence and trivialization of the sacred. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it was highly inappropriate that Kardashian was shown as Hindu deity in an exhibition in New York recently. Hindu deities were highly revered in Hinduism and were meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be substituted with faces of Hollywood stars for dramatic effects. [link]

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