Lord Ganesh is everywhere. His image appears on tshirts, village walls, inside trishaw taxis, and sometimes, even in Budhist and Taoist temples.
His physical form is delightful to look at. He is elephant headed, has a large bellied body, many arms, he has a snake around his waist and he rides on a mouse. He enchants the faithful and transcends every cultural boundary. He represents hope, optimism, goodwill, and some healthy indulgence. His magnanimity shows us that spiritual awareness is not at odds with the good life.
Mahen has been painting for over thirty-five years and has devoted the last twenty four years to portraying Lord Ganesh.
For Mahen, painting Lord Ganesh is a personal journey that was inspired by his spiritual connection to Lord Ganesh. In 1994, while working and living in Singapore, Mahen began a study of the iconography and symbolism of Lord Ganesh. He started exploring the classic forms, postures and the iconographic principles of perfect poise within the 32 forms Lord Ganesh appears in and translated these into contemporary representations.
