To Shraddha Shrestha, the sacred characters and icons that depict Hindu mythology often resemble our imaginings of extra-terrestrial life forms and mystical creatures as told in our stories and media, especially in animation and film. Hinduism here is based in cosmology and spirituality, ungoverned by any higher dictating body, and practiced primarily through personal belief. Therefore, Shrestha wonders, perhaps our religious icons are too from outer space, descendant in some sense from an external galactic dimension.
The ‘Holy Head Space’ series takes this question as a starting point to play with existing ideas and aesthetics of Hindu mythological characters and reimagine them as alien, otherworldly creatures. In this way, Shrestha merges traditional Hindu representations with western animation and popular media references from the 90s.
“Through this series, I want to celebrate my childhood nostalgia with my present culture and society.” Shraddha Shrestha is an illustrator, designer and street artist whose work often combines politics, religion and popular media to be reflective of the present day in Nepal and beyond.
(Images courtesy of the artist)
Designed & Developed by: Curves n' Colors | Visual identity by: Wkshps
Subscribe
