Good vibrations and Asma Menon’s series Sacred Spaces

“I know this sounds bizarre, but I feel Arunachala is not static; it moves. There is a strange vibe about it where I’m concerned,” says Asma Menon. The artist, whose solo show, Sacred Spaces in a Path of Awakening is underway in Bengaluru, talks about this series that took shape over the past two years.

The transition from cosmopolitan city dweller to seeker of solace in the countryside, did not happen overnight but has been an adventure of sorts as well as the inspiration for her work.

Asma says when she re-located to Tiruvannamalai on a whim, building her home-studio on a parcel of land that was more of an afterthought than an investment, the joy of discovering her surroundings fed her creativity.

“I would hop on my scooter and set off on one of my ‘Get Lost’ trips coming across small temples, finding out about hero stones (memorial stones) and a megalith dating back to 1,500BCE, and enjoying the beauty of a sunset,” says Asma, adding that these road trips gave her an introduction to many quaint rites and rituals practised in those areas.

“I live in a little forest area where only five houses have been built. It is full of trees, birds, and the occasional snake that decides to come out. It’s a magical place.”

Small wonder then, that Sacred Spaces is an attempt to capture the ethereal Asma sees in her everyday. Using acrylics for the most part, as well as oil pastels and watercolour pencils, her works depict rural scenes in vivid hues and geometric patterns. There are woods and water lilies, temple grottoes and swathes of sky and earth, but almost always, one can see Arunachala.

“This place is one of the oldest districts of Tamil Nadu endowed with a lot of vibrations and power that gradually seeps into you. Epiphany happens in a town like this and you open yourself to it without question.”

She recalls how during one of her trips she came across a pit full of terracotta dogs; no one seems to know how they got there or what purpose they serve. “When it rains, a few of them get worn out, but there are still around 10 to 12 dogs in that space of 400square feet. Further away there is a place filled with little terracotta cows where people come to offer prayers when their cows are pregnant. It is amazing what one can see here.”

Prequel to a dream

Before she headed out to “Tiru” as she affectionately calls her place of residence, Asma was city born and bred, spending her childhood years in Bengaluru. “I began art classes when I was in the third grade or fourth grade, first with Ram Murthy and then with Balan Nambiar who admitted me into his adult classes,” says Asma, adding that she debuted at one of Balan’s shows.

After completing her degree in Visual Communications, Asma went on to successfully work at advertising agencies and the production department of a newspaper in Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Art seemingly faded into the background until she had the chance to illustrate two children’s books. “It was sheer luck that I got the job, and I enjoyed going back to drawing,” she says, adding that as more projects came her way, she decided to quit corporate life and embrace art full time.

“I became involved in printmaking and painting at home. I also started children’s art workshops and eventually got back into the circuit,” she says, adding that the runaway success of her first solo show in 1994, convinced her she was on the right track.

Today, in her spartan space at Tiruvannamalai, Asma says she is still journeying into sacred territory. “I find myself awakening to a whole new landscape that affects me. It rumbles in my soul. It took years before I could render anything on paper or canvas, because it took me that long to fathom the enormity of it all. Sometimes when you are at the crossroads and are unsure of what direction to take, you just take the plunge.”

Sacred Spaces in a Path of Awakeningby Asma Menon is on display at MKF Museum of Art till July 31, 2025. Entry free, Mondays closed.

Published – July 21, 2025 04:42 pm IST