In mudras, an outpouring of an artist’s mind

So, what if Plan A does not work The alphabet has 25 more letters, doesn’t it So be it in life.

Upcoming artist Moksha Rao lives this philosophy.

Recently named Artist of the Week by Art & Found, an online platform for invite-only artists, the 23-year-old believes one has to go through many adventurous paths to reach the one that fits the best.

Moksha, rather strikingly, has managed to interfuse her paths. Her Mudra series is singularly arresting because she uses her skills as a graphic artist to create a body of work that is an outpouring of her mind as a danseuse.

The Mudras (hand gestures) is a series of illustrations that lends colour to a dancer’s medium of expression. Inspired by the ancient text Natya Shastra, Moksha’s training in the performing arts did come in handy.

“The connect between the performing and visual arts is very deeply entrenched in me and this series is inspired by Bharatanatyam itself,” says Moksha, who is an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, having completed her arangetram recital in 2009.

Moksha is pleasantly surprised by the interest her Mudra series has elicited.

“Aditya Mehta, creative director, Ogilvy, approached me after coming across my series on Mudras on my Instagram feed. He is the curator of Art & Found where artists can sell their work. I was overwhelmed because it was only recently that I found the courage to upload my art on the big scary world of social media,” she says.

Moksha’s earliest memory of art is of visiting exhibitions, workshops and galleries around the city. “Art is something that has always touched me in a deep way,” she says of her art.

“I remember walking through exhibitions and museums of art around the world and learning to appreciate cultures, time periods. All this has impacted me. Belonging to a family of dancers, I have grown up with ghungaroos for Bharatanatyam at the age of five and I perform now with undiminished passion because I realise that art that I produce is largely influenced by my dance, my cultural background, my guru (Rajee Narayan), my family. One thing I would like to stress on is the unbiased outlook that I have for art, for which I give my mother Jaishree Rao full credit. She is my biggest inspiration, a fine artist and dancer herself,” she says.

Moksha is now training for a solo recital in Bharatanatyam on August 1, which is a tribute to her guru Rajee Narayan, founder director of Nritya Geethanjali Academy, Mumbai.

Moksha credits her mother with the undying energy that allows her to straddle her art and dance.

“Never back down from a challenge because we artists believe that there is nothing more intimidating than a blank canvas. People who know me well would describe me as someone who is not afraid of new challenges and once I set my mind to something, I always see it through the end,” says Moksha.

In fact, earlier this year, Moksha ran two half marathons; The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon and the Hiranandani Thane Half Marathon.

“As an artist, I derive creativity from any experience and I always say, the crazier, the better,” says Moksha of her varied interests.

The future for now is unpredictable, but Moksha likes to look at it as an exciting journey. With her sights set on working in a design studio or even owning one perhaps, she hopes to make a difference in the field of art and design, internationally.

Moksha has been admitted into the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) at its Atlanta (USA) campus with a partial scholarship to pursue a MFA in Graphic Design.

“I am psyched to move next month because this is something I have looked forward to my entire life. I am a junction in my life where my possibilities are endless and new experiences await every step,” says Moksha.