The visual art of Swapna Das is now on display in the Vault Gallery of the Downtown Phoenix campus Library. It will be on exhibit through May 11 during regular library hours.
Born and raised in New Delhi, India, Das moved to the United States in 2011 and completed her Master of Fine Arts at Arizona State University, where she discovered she was able to share her diverse background through art while enhancing her skills and knowledge through meaningful interaction with other talented artists.
Das states that her paintings and drawings “encompass the profound idea that spirituality and creativity are intertwined.” Her current body of work illustrates one of the significant concepts of Buddhism titled “Ten World,” or ten life states that a person experiences in his or her life. The illustration of these different aspects of "Ten Worlds" has provided her with an opportunity to understand human inherent potential to transform their life condition.
Not only is her latest work an extension of "Ten Worlds," but it also depicts her personal experience of undergoing the lower state of life. The series of circle shape monochrome drawings are the representation of collective emotions of distress and vulnerability.
“It was intriguing to create complex and abstract graphical elements enveloped into circular shaped drawings,” Das wrote. “All life is in a constant state of flux, yet there exists a discernable pattern and a strong connection between various human emotions. This interconnected network of human emotion is shown through organic and flexible elements resembling tubes, strings and cords entangling with each other.”
“The abstraction of elements also depicts that human life is full of intricacy and inconsistency,” she continued. “They also represent the unpleasant phase of low life condition in which a human loses the control in their life.”
Das acknowledges there can be many interpretations of her paintings and charcoal drawings. She believes through her art “the audience can experience the freedom of the limited palate which will provide a platform to appreciate the connection between art and human development.”
