Delhi
Inward Trails :
A solo exhibition of Jai Khanna
18th February- 27th February, 2023
As a daughter of an astute Jain family I always marvelled at the sounds of silence that pervaded over our other -wise abundant home in Old Delhi. In my parents’ home I witnessed first-hand, the spiritual tact of believers who could, with great finesse, reside within. Faith driven souls who knew the dichotomy between inner peace and outer turmoil, the truth that no matter how tumultuous a movie might be, it still leaves the screen untampered and pristine.
It was this inner peace, a feeling of being centred, that first drew me to young artist Jai Khanna. Much before I got to witness his art I was regaled by his animated tales of spiritual sojourns to Jain shrines where he invariably conquered gusty winds and truant weather before he set eyes of shrines of the Tirthankaras. He also shared, with intense emotions, the many vivid dreams that guided him in creating his art. Dreams that took him through deep jungles and high mountains where he found his gurus. These surreal trysts compelling him to link nature with faith.
Indeed, in Jai Khanna’s art I saw a deep depiction of forests full of trees, hillocks, flora and fauna that seem to kiss the feet of his Gods. Large canvasses in which the playful Lord Krishna in his intense Shrinathji avatar is seen perched on a dark Govardhan; the much revered Mahavir Swami emerges in his Pitamber form, surrounded by thick foliage rendered in brushes of dull gold; where Parashvanathji is seen in a recurring cameo just as Jai had seen him in his dreams. It is almost as if through his art he takes us to an ‘inward trail’ that pierces through the eyes and hits the heart, settling down deep within the soul.
Jai Khanna’s solo exhibition “The Inward Trails” is a journey of self-discovery. It is a result of his personal calling, which drew him to the peaceful, perfect realm of life. His experiments with Jainism and its message of looking at life from a simple vantage of live and let live (Ahinsa), stemmed from an unflinching belief in a higher self or soul, that is endowed with the properties of, Siddha, or complete, Buddha, or perfect, Mukti, or liberated Self. The tranquil demeanour of the Tirthankaras in his works, inspired to unveil these properties in yourself. On doing so we inch closer to answering the question of “Who Am I?” In this solo show Jai celebrates Jainism which is steered by the firm belief of being a Jain. And his deep, spiritual connect with it can be seen emerging in several cameos that touch your soul.
The serpent hood, on Tirthankara Parsvanatha, depicted by the artist also confirms this perfect state of the soul. This symbolism denotes the power and strength of the soul in the face of calamity that is termed as “Upsarg” in Jain philosophy.
It also destroys the myth about the interdependence of the soul and karma. For the believer, Jai Khanna’s solo show offers a chance to follow your own inner trail. For an aesthetics seeker it is a show that celebrates the beauty of perfection. A visual treat where not even a leaf is seen out of place.For me Jai is a spiritual seeker whose art compels you to question your existence. An answer to which is provided in his art itself!