In 1992, as I stepped out of the gates of Shantiniketan I saw the world as a great panorama of art, the open blue sky widening my vision and my perception. Since that joyous first step I have been fascinated by the human figure. This interest crystallized further to just the human head. The head, devoid of the body became the centre of my art universe. For the head captures the essence of the human being. It is the centre of thought and emotion; it is the control, the computer and the ultimate motor which generates life, feelings and expressions. I have explored this aspect of the human body in all possible media, exploring the fleeting expressions and images of the face. Through the head I wanted to capture the character of the human being. But as time went by I began to introspect. I stepped into another world, a larger canvas. I saw power games, unhappiness, betrayal, terrorism as part of the canvas shared by man. I tried to understand these situations. In my painting “Are you human beings?” I portrayed the pain suffered by good human beings at the hands of the power hungry and the rich fanatics. I yearn for a world filled with peace, harmony, mutual respect and love for fellow human beings. My painting, “Surrendering to Peace” reflects a world full of violence, distrust and the lust for power. This thirst for power is creating an imbalance in our society, deepening the abyss between the classes and religions, where even the neighbour is viewed with distrust. Therefore my message is – let us surrender to peace and not arms. As I dwelt on these issues the human head slowly transformed and peacefully merged with the look of the Buddha. My inner turmoil had found a solution in the Buddha. Why could we not, each of us, be a Buddha – an idol of peace, joy and harmony? With this discovery of peace, my heads began to portray the quietness and depth of a shining lake. The expressions are rich, almost sacred. So immense is this feeling of peace and joy that the figures of the Buddha glow out of the canvases. Now when I paint a woman, the same feeling of peace and joy, love and compassion comes through in the beauty of her expression. The women in my canvases are portrayed as soft and sensual as if their eyes are conveying some great inner emotion. My canvases have many textures. The canvas is sectionalized with sharp bars as if conveying my determined and decisive thoughts, but they maintain a perfect sense of harmony with the subject. My own inner restlessness creates highly textured surfaces, but ultimately the inner acceptance of the sublime creates the perfect bars of colour and light juxtaposed in perfect harmony. The agony which as a passionate artist I have experienced and the ecstasy I achieve while painting leads me relentlessly on.