Trendy aesthetic to epic stories

The Mahabharata is a tapestry of dilemma, duty, wisdom, devotion, and victory. Today, its lore extends beyond the written word — as contemporary, functional artwork.

Keerthi Tummala, founder and creative director of Sage Living, reimagines the Mahabharata through a series of handcrafted artworks. Rather than dwelling on the war and conflict that is often associated with the epic, her vision offers a more nuanced perspective—one that highlights its spiritual and philosophical depth. Each of her works freezes a moment beyond the battlefield. Rooted in local craftsmanship and the ‘Made in India’ ethos, her work transforms ancient lore into innovative artwork.

Destiny and devotion

The centrepiece of the collection is a screen. One side features a geometric representation of Chaupad (the dice and board game), depicting the fateful moment in the Mahabharata when the Pandavas lost their kingdom. Flip it around and you’ll see Krishna guiding Arjuna’s chariot on the battlefield of Kurukshetra—a moment immortalised in the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna’s celestial intervention and timeless wisdom take centre stage.

Hidden within the intricate designs is the number 18—a subtle nod to the 18 chapters of the epic and the 18 days of the great war—adding an element of mystery. The screen also integrates a depiction of the warrior pose symbolising Arjuna’s duty as a warrior. To capture the right mood, Keerthi turns to traditional techniques. Pietra dura—a stone inlay technique seen in palace decor and the Taj Mahal—echoes royal interiors, while bronze casting, with its aged patina, hints at the late bronze age, when this tale may have begun. Mother-of-pearl brings a celestial glow, symbolising Krishna’s presence, while Tiger’s Eye stone with its golden colour and cat’s eye effect, reflects the power and courage of warriors. Expanding on this theme, Keerthi also designed a credenza that embodies the same philosophy.

Moral balance

Picture a Kathak dancer stepping onto the stage, her outfit sparkling like glass, scattering light in every direction. With every movement, there is grace and harmony. Her dance narrates tales of deities, love, and bravery. Keerthi translates this poetic motion into artwork with a Dharma-inspired table—a piece that captures the essence of balance and movement. Keerthi’s choice of Kathak stems from both a personal moment of inspiration—watching a live performance—and the dance form’s historical role in propagating Dharma. The glass surface plays with light creating patterns mimicking the dancer’s motion, the vertical segments resemble her skirt. Geometry is key, echoing the precise footwork of the dance. The glass top, suggests stillness. Like the Kathak dancer maintaining her grace amid motion, the table’s sculpted base reflects the duality of Dharma—the art of staying righteous while navigating life’s adversities.

Karna-inspired

Another piece she designed is a table that draws its identity from Karna, the warrior bound by destiny and duty. Its bold orange hue mirrors the radiance of the sun—Karna’s celestial father. Keerthi used glass casting for both this and her Dharma-inspired table, a technique that creates a continuous interplay between light and material.

The table’s glass surface refracts light, creating the illusion of cut crystal in a cane pattern—imagery that echoes the complexity and brilliance of Karna’s character. Keerthi also crafted a Krishna-inspired table, with a brass finish embodying illumination — much like Krishna’s divine presence in the Mahabharata.

Artistic vision

Keerthi depicts the iconic landscapes from the Mahabharata on a partition. One side features intricate embroidery—thread, wood, and stone stitched onto a rattan surface—mapping the key locations of the epic: Hastinapura, Indraprastha, Vrindavan, Kurukshetra, Dwarka and Vrindavan. Since no definitive map of these places exists, the designers turned to historical texts, piecing together an artistic vision of the Mahabharata’s landscapes.

A deep green expanse represents Vrindavan, its delicate metal hangings depict the training grounds for the warriors of the Kuru kingdom. In contrast, a striking red section, embedded with stones, symbolises Hastinapura—the seat of power for which the Pandavas and Kauravas waged war. Although not a literal map, the piece captures the spirit of these places. The rivers, including the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati, are also represented, their courses flowing across the screen. The reverse side of the screen presents a mirror image of this concept through wooden marquetry—like painting with wood, where designers layer different colours and textures to form patterns.

Here too, a detailed map of the same locations and rivers is crafted, but with an earthy, organic feel that highlights the natural grain of the wood. The wooden marquetry mirrors the embroidered side in design yet offers a contrasting sensory experience—capturing the duality and balance, much like the Mahabharata itself.