Kamadhenu Vindaloo
100cm H × 100cm W
Oil & mixed media on canvas
Embellished with Swarovski & 24 karat gold leaf
The Narrative:
Kamadhenu Vindaloo questions the social norm of a woman’s significance and value to society, where during her fertile period, she is treated as almost a revered property.
The image is of a solitary, luminous youthful cow afloat in a hot desert of gold, tossed with curry leaves and marigold blooms. At first glance, it can evoke the sacred, the usual wish fulfilling divine cow of the Hindu myth. Only here she is tossed with luxurious ingredients—marigold, curry, gold—a Vindaloo in the making.
Cloaked in visual opulence, the work explores the objectification of womanhood through a deeply personal yet universally resonant lens. The gilded desert is no sanctuary but the scorched aftermath of a societal transaction. One in which fertility, youth, and availability determine value. The cow, a symbol of nourishment, femininity, and sacrifice stands here not as a deity, but tender and tangible.
Interrogating cultural, biological, and emotional expectations that orbit a woman, what happens when she ceases to be fertile? Who is she if she cannot bear children, further her legacy or appeal to male fantasy? Is she still seen? Or simply discarded?
Marigolds—flowers of celebration and mourning—surround her. Are they offerings for the divine and decorations for a wake? Vindaloo, a dish with colonial roots and fiery undertones, hints at heritage both beloved and burned. Beneath the surface, it offers what she does: a soft, kind, quiet strength that refuses to disappear and a reminder that if nothing works at least it’s delectable.
Curator’s Note:
Kamadhenu Vindaloo offers an encounter that is both disarmingly tender and quietly provocative. The viewer is immediately enveloped by a vast, 24 karat gold leaf expanse—a setting that feels less like a physical landscape and more like an emotional atmosphere. Rather than overwhelming the space, the gold glistens with a subtle, comforting warmth, bathing the solitary figure in an enduring, melancholic light.
At the centre stands the cow, luminous and white, rendered with a softness that contrasts the sharp societal questions she represents. It is her direct gaze that anchors the work. Masterfully balancing deep conceptual inquiry with exquisite aesthetic grace, this work is a visual feast. It draws you close through its tactile luxury, only to reveal the profound strength and quiet endurance of the feminine spirit resting beneath the surface.
Provenance:
Direct from the artist’s studio, London, 2023. Signed by the artist.