Olivia Fraser
Sringara, 2025
Pigments and Arabic gum on handmade Sanganer paper
109.2 x 88.9 cm
43 x 35 in
43 x 35 in
The Sanskrit word SRINGARA encompasses both the visual and the emotional in its meaning- translating as it does to the word adornment or embellishment and also in Sanskrit aesthetic theory...
The Sanskrit word SRINGARA encompasses both the visual and the emotional in its meaning- translating as it does to the word adornment or embellishment and also in Sanskrit aesthetic theory being one of the 9 ‘rasas’ or emotions (or even the “rasa raja” - the principal rasa) representing love/beauty and joy.
Marigolds hold both of these meanings as with their vibrant oranges and yellows, they bridge the gap between the earthly and the divine and are offered as adornments with equal reverence to both during rituals like weddings, funerals, temples and festivals.
During the festival of Holi in Vrindavan, I was thrilled to witness the Krishna Lila performed by gopis who danced around Radha & Krishna, deluging and almost drowning the pair with flower petals- predominantly different coloured marigolds.
The idea of divine play so closely associated with Krishna is here transformed into a sensory experience of tumbling marigolds - a Sringara rasa- with the orange/yellow colours reflecting joy, love, devotion and the rhythmic, repetitive pulse of the patterning underpinning the whole.
Marigolds hold both of these meanings as with their vibrant oranges and yellows, they bridge the gap between the earthly and the divine and are offered as adornments with equal reverence to both during rituals like weddings, funerals, temples and festivals.
During the festival of Holi in Vrindavan, I was thrilled to witness the Krishna Lila performed by gopis who danced around Radha & Krishna, deluging and almost drowning the pair with flower petals- predominantly different coloured marigolds.
The idea of divine play so closely associated with Krishna is here transformed into a sensory experience of tumbling marigolds - a Sringara rasa- with the orange/yellow colours reflecting joy, love, devotion and the rhythmic, repetitive pulse of the patterning underpinning the whole.
