Dharamshala: New-York based artist Raj Shahani has unveiled his 17-foot sculpture ‘Jayanti’ in the premises of a five star hotel at the ever-popular tourist destination Dharamkot, near Mecleodganj after several months of meticulous planning. The site-specific sculpture, made of mirror-polished steel will stand as a permanent installation for the hotel’s ground. The sculpture serves as a reflective and conceptual homage to Dharamshala, a land steeped in spirituality and home to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The artist has also curated the art exhibited across the hotel, including a series of photographs by him inspired by Buddhist monks.
The contemporary design and finish, the faceted, gem-stone shaped sculpture carries a Sanskrit inscription devoted to the Goddess Jayanti, the monolith Mother Goddess of Dharamshala. At the launch of the sculpture, the artist shared – “Spirituality and celebrating the brilliance of the human spirit are two vital cornerstones for me as an artist. One can’t help but be inspired by the natural beauty and profound spirituality of Dharamshala. I’m grateful that my work here, has been blessed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and I’m happy to be able to share my work and passion as an artist with the people of this special town.”
The artist most recently exhibited a series of sculptures, inspired by his photographs of ballet and contemporary dancers, from 4th-16th November 2019 at the prestigious Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai. Artist Raj Shahani left a successful career in finance in New York City to follow his passion for art. He began developing his artist practice at the Arts Students League in New York, going on to work in studios in the United States and Amsterdam. He cites artists Phillipe Faraut (USA) and Jeremy Lipking (Netherlands) as his mentors, encouraging him to follow his natural talent for sculpture. The artist lives between New York City and Mumbai.
Arvind Sharma is an award winning bi-lingual journalist with more than 20 years of experience.
He has worked with Divya Himachal, Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhasker, Vir Partap, Ajit and PTI.
In 2010, he was conferred the Himachal Kesri journalism award. He reports on the Tibetan Government in Exile, politics, sports, tourism and other topics. He lives in Dharamshala.
