About MokshaShots Episode 12: The Conquest of the Mind
Visual artist Jenny Bhatt asks: what does “moksha” (“salvation”) mean to you? In MokshaShots - a series which echoes elements of pop surrealism in technique -Bhatt suggests that the idea of salvation bears different meaning to everyone – particularly in the 21st century, where eternal peace can be found at the end of a decadent chocolate, a long-needed getaway vacation, or in the depths of a beautiful work of art. Conversely, spiritual enlightenment can also come from a sports car, designer clothes or high-tech electronic upgrades.
Combining satire with spirituality, Bhatt has created a slew of anthropomorphic deities that represent various aspects of our consumerist lifestyle. The five major ones – MokshaBuy (The Consumer Goddess), Mokshasura (The Necessary Evil), Reverence (MokshaGuru), Irreverence (MokshuBrat), and MokshaBum – each represent an aspect of the “Self”. Using a pop surrealist technique, Bhatt paints various episodes combining these characters and attempts to illustrate the many materialist ways in which society finds happiness.