Almost There

Arts of Asia

2016

Manjunath Kamath
Indian, born 1972

Inspired by the traditions of Indian and particularly Buddhist painting, Manjunath Kamath here depicts a whorl of fire with its center hollowed out. A closer look reveals
fragments of deities, flailing horse hooves and hindquarters, clouds, and sections of a Buddhist mandala. The hollowed center refers both to the concept of emptiness (shunyata), an important strand of Indian philosophical thought, and at the same time to the golden womb (hiranyagarbha)—the beginning of the universe and infinity itself.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Arts of Asia

Artist: B. M. Kamath
Title: Almost There
Place: India (Object made in)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: Made 2016
Medium: Gouache on silk
Dimensions: 213.4 × 213.4 cm (84 × 84 in.)
Credit Line: Purchased with funds provided by the Friends of Indian and Islamic Art of The Art Institute of Chicago
Reference Number: 2016.317a-g

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.