Khyāl

Click here for an audio guide by Srila Chatterjee

This is an ode to Khyāl, a musical form that is lyrical, and imaginative. It is a composition in praise of the sitar, the eighteenth-century stringed instrument that sings. It celebrates the flourishing of Hindustani music from Dhrupad to Khyāl.

Sound does not come bursting out, the ālāp is gradual: first a small leaf, then the stem, and finally, the crescendo: a full bouquet. Gently, it curls around the sitar. Songs and strings attract life: a tiger is on the prowl as a waq-waq tree breaks into song, flowers bloom, a rasika [connoisseur] is moved to tears. 

Size: height 53 in. x breadth 32 in. x depth 14 in.

Materials: Discarded sitar, metal stand, brass bidding, metal insects, scrap metal flowers, and paint.

Edition of 3