Kali is she who enchants Mahakala (Shiva) and annihilates Kala (death). With the brilliance of the Sun forming her ethereal aura, goddess Kali in this watercolor on paper appears in her potent and battle-ready aspect. Skulls (motifs for death) placed on gem-studded crowns adorn through which Kali taunts the frail appeal of material objects. A garland of Japakusum (hibiscus) falls parallel to a garland of skull or Mundamala in her neck, underling the duality of life where life and death, beauty and horror persist simultaneously.
Her bloodshot eyes challenge Kala while her awe-inspiring earrings made with the bodies of the dead represent her mastery over the dead and death. On her forehead adorned with glowing sandalwood and Kumkum paste appears the third eye, a symbol of cosmic wisdom whose unabashed and unparalleled manifestation is Kali. Inspired by the flaming iconography of Tantric Thangkas, the artist has added stylized cloud-like elements on the edges of the painting, adding to the drama and divinity created by the vivid color palette of this enthralling artwork.
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