The Ventriloquist

The Ventriloquist, 2010

'Control' defines our existence today. Our civilization thrives on it. Our personal lives are controlled by 'Control'! It helps us tame ourselves and others. It helps us exercise authority and dominance over every aspect of our existence and gives us power and status in our societal setup. Power is the intoxication which makes the world bow to control. We are constantly exerting control through violence, manipulation, commands or pleas trying to keep the power in our hands. We are constantly chasing our goals, fulfilling our needs at any cost. Spirituality constantly warns us about this obsession with control and reminds us again and again that there is nothing absolute and nothing in this universe which we can control. It is all just an illusion. Yet we are constantly trying to be in charge and keep others in control... to play with them as puppets forgetting in the process that we are puppets too. Ventriloquists speak through their puppets in the process adapting the puppets character. So, who can say for sure that the puppet is not speaking through the Ventriloquist instead? Who has the power? Who has the control? The illusion is the reality and the reality is an illusion.

I have used watercolor wash on handmade paper and used a pen to draw the details with water proof ink.