Elephant in the Clouds:
This art piece has its muses – an elephant and the clouds, finished in signature black-and-white hues of charcoal. It connects multiple layers of emotions, with an unfamiliar inclination of elephants, at the same time touching the mythology as it speaks out loud – ‘Come Storm or Rain, Keep Moving’.
The elephants’ association with water has been explored in this painting, the mammoth being likened to clouds, because of its size and grey color. The Elephant, a symbol of power, strength, and vitality, has been shown walking right under the dark clouds and ahead of an approaching storm, none of it able to contain the giant in any way.
We all will face storms in our lives, these are inevitable. Will we hide inside, waiting for it to pass, or will we continue with our lives, sing or dance, enjoying even the roughest of weather? It is up to us to determine how we will respond to these disruptions. It is our choice. For the time isn’t standing still. It, like your life, is moving forward.
The art also touches upon the mythological connection of elephants with rains. In Hindu mythology, the deity Indra, the rain god, rides the elephant Airavata, also known as the elephant of the clouds. One of his names means the one who knits or binds the clouds, even as it is believed that these elephants can produce clouds.