Honoo-No-Mori

The two looming sculptural figures draw their inspiration from a convergence of Asian female divinity forms that have been of particular importance to me: the eye idols of Tell Brak and the Harappan civilization headdresses I saw as a child in India. At the base of my sculptures, a (phallic) image of the Shiva lingam makes a rhyme with the narrow yoni, the (labial) passage above it, bringing together male and female creativity. The passage also references the lamp slits of old Japanese toros, or stone lanterns, honoring the particular geography where these sculptures came into being and melding all the influences into a reverential syncretic shrine.

Images: Ashwini Bhat