YOGASANA IN BRONZE

How does a sculptor translate a yogic stance into a bronze? Arun Pandit's fibre glass maquette for a monumental bronze entitled "Meditation" is a work that personifies the flow of artistic expression. Pandit creates works that make us stop and think.He does not give us a work that is a straight forward literal illustration. Instead he creates a work that gives us an inner and outer shell of awareness. He keeps the mould in which he creates and gives us an inside outside rhythmic feel that speaks of two worlds – in this case the yogic asana and gives us a tumultous melding of both states.

When it comes to yoga or art there is something deeply fulfilling, about expression–but accessing creativity through yogic symbolism isn't always easy. Like the most difficult yogasanas, self control and inner creativity arise naturally. When we are in the state of stillness and can keep the calmness of presence, it creates its own aura. Pandit here creates two moulds – the first is the complete yogic being created in the wholesome image of man.The second is the mould in which the image was created. For the past 20 years Pandit has created works in which he has conjoined the inner and outer shells to create hybrid realities that have puzzled as well as enamoured buyers in the country.

Pandit's most famous work is the 'Tirupati Airport Garuda' in which he created a man with Garuda's wings that were actually 12 pairs of hands. Pandit plays with illusion and elusiveness to give us sculptures that have a surreal feel. In this case, he personifies yoga as a gift for an artist as well as normal human being. Pandit describes his position: "When we practice awareness in asana, pranayama, and meditation, we learn to see and let go of the distractions of the mind. It is from this place of clear seeing that inspiration springs forth. So in my work I'm showing two worlds.The outer external like a shell –when I cover the human with the outer mould I am stating that we have to detach ourselves from those attachments so we can achieve that inner state."

In more ways than one Pandit is also pointing towards the truth that creativity arises naturally in states of stillness and presence. The basic tenet of yoga is to let go of the clutter and the burdens of everyday living, and giving into the tools of yoga can give you the feeling of being completely present, awake, and alive. And while yoga is often thought of as a tool to help us find ease in the body, it can also be a way of helping us tap our creative selves. This work with its many inner and outer realms when made into a bronze will indeed be an instrument that will draw the energy of those who view it.

Pandit, the National Award Winner from Bihar College of Art junior to Subodh Gupta has come a long way for the art world to take notice of him. His sculptures at the Art Heritage stall of the India Art Fair this year drew huge response. According to him, meditation and yoga grant us access to the deep places of our psyche and consciousness that inspire creative ideas to emerge, while simultaneously offering us tools to work with some of the biggest obstacles as artists.

He states: "I called my work "Meditation" because no matter what kind of art you call your own, your yoga practice can more fully connect you with your creative mind, body, and soul. I wanted people to connect with that."

Arun Pandit takes the yogic meditation aasan and gives us a figure that translates meditation into a calming serene posture. Pandit works with the mould and the human figure – creating a karmic echo in which the being is both within and without. The sculpture reflects the truth that yoga is a science, one that has been with us for generations and meditation is the ultimate journey to nirvana.

Yoga gurus state that once we approach creative expression from the perspective of mindfulness and devotion, we begin to see art-making itself as a spiritual practice. In this way, our art serves a higher purpose: it helps us become more present in our daily lives and offers us an opportunity to connect more deeply with the universal creative force that resides in us.

As we become more perceptive in our yoga practice – by examining ourselves – we become more perceptive in other areas of life, including creating art. This work "Meditation" has been created as a maquette, for an assignment in Delhi Airport's T3. If accepted it becomes a feather in the cap of one of the greatest sculptors in the country and at present the Garhi studios in Delhi.