This folio titled ‘Calming the Storm I’ is a part of the Issanama series.
The Issanama commission lies at the intersection of art and history, and offers lush evidence of the plurality and syncretism inherent in Indian culture. It’s an artistic collaboration between the founder of Sarmaya, Paul Abraham and traditional miniaturist and third-generation artist, Manish Soni of Bhilwara, Rajasthan. As such, the Issanama offers a fresh model of art patronage for the contemporary era, one in which the patron enters into an intellectual dialogue with the artist.
The commission illustrates episodes from the Bible and the life of Jesus Christ in the exquisite landscape of the Hamzanama, the earliest expression of the Indian subcontinent’s celebrated Indo-Islamic art tradition.
This painting is part of a triptych narrating the biblical episode where Jesus calms the storm. This is the first of the three panels and shows Jesus being thronged by his followers as he stands at the bank of the river, pointing towards the boat which will take him and his disciples to the ship where they can rest. This work is inspired by the miniature painting traditions that flourished in the hills of Punjab as well as in the Mughal court. See the triptych here.
Title
Calming the Storm IPeriod
2018Album Title
IssanamaArtist
Paul Abraham with Manish SoniStyle
HamzanamaMedium
Opaque watercolour and natural pigments on hand-made paperDimensions
H: 60 cm x W: 49.6 cmAccession No.
2018.33.8Genre: Modern & Contemporary Art