Issanama

Meet the Muse

The Issanama may be the story of Jesus, but it draws from a syncretic narrative of history as embodied by Emperor Akbar’s incredible Hamzanama folios

Prayer at Gethsemane

This painting is an interpretation, Jesus prays to his father on the night before his crucifixion. The artist Manish Soni has employed a distinctive Hamzanama trope to convey the intensity and pathos of this scene.

Raising of Lazarus

This folio titled ‘Raising of Lazarus’ 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… Read more »

Calming the Storm III

This folio titled ‘Calming the Storm III’ 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… Read more »

Calming the Storm II

This folio titled ‘Calming the Storm II’ 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… Read more »

Calming the Storm I

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… Read more »

Calming the Storm (triptych)

This intricately detailed triptych tells the story of Jesus calming the storm. The first of the panels, Jesus stands at the bank of the river, pointing towards the boat which will take him and his disciples to the island where they can rest.

The Temptation of Christ

This folio titled ‘The Temptation of Christ’ 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,… Read more »

The First Miracle at Cana

This folio titled ‘The First Miracle at Cana’ 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… Read more »

Samaritan Woman at the Well

This folio titled ‘Samaritan Woman at the Well’ is a part of the  Issanama series. The episode depicts the meeting of Jesus with a woman in Samaria, who gives him water to quench his thirst and a conversation between them follows. The Issanama commission lies at the intersection of art and history, and offers lush… Read more »

The Last Supper

The scene here shows Jesus and his twelve apostles huddled around a fire, on what seems like a cold and silent night, for a simple meal. This painting is the artist’s homage to a great work by the 18th-century Pahari master Nainsukh.

The Baptism of Christ

This is a reinterpretation of the Biblical episode in the style of the Hamzanama original titled ‘The Prophet Elijah Rescuing Prince Nur ad Dahr’. The juxtaposition of the figures in this work with the original folio is interesting, and so is the clever replacement of Christ in place of the prince.

Jesus at the Temple

This folio titled ‘Jesus at the Temple’ 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,… Read more »

The Birth of Christ

This folio titled ‘The Birth of Christ’ 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,… Read more »

Grindlay’s Bank

On 7 April, 2018 a team from Grindlay’s Bank, Mumbai spent the morning getting a sneak peek at our Issanama commission before it was unveiled to the world. Just one of the many perks of being in the audience at Saturdays at Sarmaya! To join us for the next one in Mumbai, write in to us… Read more »