A dance of strength and serenity

It is a bewitching fusion of the soft light of the moon with the menacing prowl of the tiger. The ferocity of the tiger in the jungle reoriented itself in a sublime portrayal in artist Anup Kumar Chand’s recent solo exhibition, ‘Moonlit Night Story’, at the Jahangir Art Gallery in Mumbai. The pallor of the moon exudes a unique aura in Indian mythology, with its changing shapes inspiring poetry, tides, and musings. “In Indian mythology, the moon is a symbol of beauty, tranquility, romance, and the passage of time. It embodies calmness, introspection, and the cycles of life,” says Anup. “For me, the moon is a gateway to an imaginative world — a romance between light and dusk. A moonlit night unveils a dreamy fantasy, drifting like a romantic poem beyond the boundaries of reality.”

He brings together the power and dynamism of the striped beast, re-complexioning it to meet the softness of the moonlight in a striking mix of grace with power. The animal holds court with its bewitching visage, relaxing along the trunk of a palm tree, yawning on a rambling green field or lost in thoughts in the verdant grasslands. The beast gains a dreamy momentum in some expressions, leaning into the magical mystery of the night.

“Tigers are often associated with power, strength, courage, and majesty. Their striking appearance — vibrant orange-yellow fur, black stripes, and piercing eyes — and enigmatic nature fascinate me,” he says. “I have captured their grace, elegance, and raw energy on my canvases, in a cool, calm and serene mood.”

Call it an attempt to draw attention to the innate bond between man and animal, raise awareness about the conservation of tigers and protect their natural habitats. “The tiger and the moon share a silent, artistic rhythm — a dance of contrast and harmony, strength, and serenity. The tiger, with its golden fur and bold black stripes, moves like a living brushstroke across the darkened canvas of the jungle. The moon, with its silver glow, touches the tiger’s form, shaping its presence in the night,” explains Anup. “In my paintings, the tiger is power, the moon is grace; the tiger is movement, the moon is stillness; the tiger is fire, the moon is ice. Yet, together, they create a masterpiece of contrasts, a story of untamed spirit bathed in celestial glow.” The surreal effect in the paintings plays out subtly in the context of the silver, yellow and green as a sustained backdrop.

The adroit use of acrylic blue and the jewelled green plays up the contrast with the yellow tone of the tiger. Anup confesses to creating multiple layers to bring in the complexity through thick colours and then playing with diluted runs to intersperse spontaneity with a sense of enigma. “I have drawn the flora in a minute manner like Kalamkari, but not in monochromatic traditional Kalam, but in multicoloured brush rendering. The tiger then reclines naturally on the decorative patterns of the palm tree with shrubs and creepers,” he adds.

What’s next? “I am continuing the series of Tiger and trying to put it to a meaningful, prolific end. Along with this series, I am finding a path to understand the mystic intensity of twelve months of the Bara Masa, which is mentioned in our ancient literature and painted in the mediaeval period in many miniature styles like Pahari, Rajasthani and Deccan miniatures. I am working on creating a series on the 12 months in a novel, contemporary manner.”