Untitled (Gaja Lakshmi)

Manjit Bawa pared figuration to its most essential elements, giving primacy to line by evoking elements of Kalighat painting while simultaneously exploring the saturated and gem-toned hues of miniature painting. The artist's style was further inspired by his experience as a silk screen printer during the mid-1960s, focusing on broad color planes and uncluttered forms. Bawa's oeuvre demonstrates a preference for line and form over narrative, eliminating extraneous detail in favor of an ambiguous, horizon-less space.

Gaja Lakshmi is one of the manifestations of the goddess of wealth, flanked by two elephants lustrating her with devotional ardor. Since the elephant is emblematic of royalty and vigor, this imagery further reinforces the connections between divine and earthly power. The auspicious iconography of Lakshmi being bathed by elephants is derived from the story of the sea of milk being churned by the gods (devas) and demons (rakshas) to discover all of its gifts, and is depicted on a grand scale in the present work.