

Watercolor pencil painting which incorporates elements from folk-art styles across India. Accepted for display at Sochi Winter Olympics exhibition in Citibank's office in Moscow, Russia. Included in printed booklet displaying artwork made by students at the Anglo-American School of Moscow. PIECE INFO: *Upper-right corner* contains peacock, dancer, trees in Warli style from west Indian state of Maharashtra. *Diagonal floral border* inspired by borders in Mughal paintings of Sita's kidnapping in the epic, "Ramayana." These paintings were commissioned by India's Mughal emperors and hence, Islamic styles of art, which highlight nature and geometry, became part of the epic's portrayal. *Left side* features leaves and a parrot. *Right side* is a woman wearing a bottu/bindi (mark of spiritual third eye) in the Bengali style. *At the bottom* is a chakra (discus/wheel), representing an Ashoka Chakra (symbol of Indian unity, featured on India's flag, named for Emperor Ashoka). Chakra also symbolizes cycles which guide Indian philosophies, such as Samsaara (cycle of reincarnation) in Hinduism and the Eight-Fold Path in Buddhism. Finally, the chakra is an ancient weapon used by gods in Hindu mythology.