Octopus
200cm x 375cm (Polyptych)
Mixed media on canvas
Embellished with Swarovski, rhinestones, ceramic paint, & 24 karat gold leaf
Curator’s Note:
To encounter Octopus is to be immediately arrested by its grand, commanding presence. Upon entering the room, the viewer is first captivated by the sheer scale of the work, with the cephalopod’s radiant form unfurling majestically across the golden sea. However, this initial impact quickly gives way to a journey of discovery. The artwork spanning almost 4 metres invites close inspection, rewarding the viewer with an immersion into its intricate ecosystem—from the glistening, hand-painted coral to the delicate, shimmering schools of fish. The monumental size of the installation allows one to be truly engulfed by the scene, creating an experience that is as intimate in its details as it is awe-inspiring in its scope. Ultimately, standing in the presence of Octopus is to witness a masterwork of immersion and abundance.
The Craftsmanship:
Anupama Dikshit’s signature application of genuine 24 karat gold leaf provides a radiant, ever-changing backdrop that catches ambient light, making the artwork feel alive as the day progresses. The surface is further elevated by the meticulous hand-application of Swarovski crystals and rhinestones, which act as water droplets catching the sun, adding a layer of tactile luxury that flat paint cannot achieve. The use of ceramic paint adds physical depth, creating a bas-relief effect that turns the canvas into a sculptural experience.
Collector’s Perspective:
This work is designed for the bold collector. Its scale makes it an ideal centerpiece for a grand residential foyer, a corporate boardroom, or a luxury hospitality setting. It is more than a painting; it is a statement of abundance, resilience, and the sublime beauty of the natural world, re-imagined through the lens of high-end craftsmanship.
The Narrative:
Octopus is a celebration of adaptation, resilience, and the quiet divinity found in the deep.
Emerging from an opulent, timeless sea of 24 karat gold, this polyptych invites the viewer into a place of profound abundance. This is not a landscape of pressure or scarcity, but a realm of pure presence. The gold leaf serves as a spiritual anchor, representing purity, divinity, and the presence of something grander than oneself—an ethereal, light-filled ocean where life does not merely survive, but adapts and thrives and in a eternal state of grace.
At the center reigns the Octopus, regal in purple and cloaked in an armor of rhinestones and ceramic textures. She is the ultimate symbol of the multi-tasker, celebrating the power of fluid adaptation. Biologically unique, the octopus possesses a distributed nervous system with neurons in each of her arms, effectively allowing her to "think" with her entire body. This work visualises that decentralised intelligence: she does not just observe her environment; she senses and processes it with every limb simultaneously.
Her eight arms extend across the six panels with intuitive purpose, embracing the complexity of her surroundings. One arm tends to the coral, another guides the schooling fish, another connects with the ocean floor. It is a dance of total engagement, where multitasking is not a burden but a natural state of being. She is the architect of her own equilibrium, reacting to every current with an intelligence that is both ancient and immediate.
Surrounded by a reef brimming with vibrant life, she embodies the triumph of resilience. The schooling fish and swaying kelp move in harmony with her, a testament to the symbiotic celebration of life underneath the ocean. Octopus captures a being fully in her element, where the ability to adapt is a form of art, and where capability is displayed not as effort, but as radiant, golden possibility.