Featuring a diverse and richly illustrated testament to contemporary Indian devotional art, this catalogue presents an extensive and unique collection by traditional artists who have translated their creative impulses into beautiful pieces that convey a personal expression of divinity. A growing collection is now housed at the Museum of Sacred Art in Belgium; curated so that visitors can experience and learn the cultural roots of Vaishnava art and its connection to the broader world of Hindu philosophy.
The catalogue unveils the living traditions of this genre as well as documents a concerted effort to preserve this special art form that continues to be subject to the fast-paced modernisation of India.
The collection at the Museum of Sacred Art focuses on works by Indian artists and includes devotional paintings by ISKCON artists. A few works from Nepal, Tibet, Thailand and Indonesia are also a part of it, representative of the spiritual and cultural connection that these places have had with India in the past.
Supported with insightful contributions on the history of this art, the art itself and its artists, the catalogue's larger purpose is to both address and support the revival of interest in spiritual art among the academic community, art lovers and the general public.
With a scholarly essay by Tryna Lyons.
About the Authors
Martin Gurvich is the founder and director of the Museum of Sacred Art. He is a member of the executive board of Radhadesh, the largest Hindu temple in Belgium, and is the general secretary of the Hindu Forum of Belgium and the Hindu Forum of Europe.
Tryna Lyons is a Seattle-based art historian with degrees from the University of California in Berkeley, and the American University of Paris. Her book on the Nathadwara painters of Rajasthan, The Artists of Nathadwara, was published in 2004 by Mapin Publishing in association with Indiana University Press.
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