Before joining College of Art, Delhi, I spent a year at the art college in Chandigarh. The highlight of the one year I spent there was the college-sponsored trip to Naggar - a quaint little village in Himachal Pradesh known for its apple orchards, and as the adopted home of Nicholas Roerich.
Roerich was a Russian artist who came to Naggar and was so mesmerised by its beauty that he decided to never leave.
The visit to the Nicholas Roerich museum was my very first exposure to the world of art. There was something mystical about him - his home, the way he lived, the kind of colours he worked with, the scenes he painted, and the depth, composure and serenity in his compositions.
I’ve visited Naggar several times since then, only to go back to the Roerich museum for another long look at his paintings.
These uncertain times somehow reminded me of how he must’ve lived in that pretty little corner of the world, away from all the freneticism of urban life. Since I’ve never painted on canvas, I wanted to imitate his compositions in my own way, and here’s the result.
Original Paintings & Inspiration
Nicholas Roerich
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