The works cover the social, political and historical issues that can be found in India today, behind the romantic images of the Mughal Empire with the Shah’s and their grand palaces, the colours of Bollywood and India’s so called economic growth good for all.

With several layers ranging from the personal to social issues when fantasy, romanticism and real life overlap, the concept and ideas behind my works deal with the things we choose not to notice, the things we are unaware of. A result of a lack of education and an appropriate government not one run by grandfathers and those who have no real genuine interest in the welfare of Inida and its people.

India accounts for 40 % of the world’s poor (more than in the whole of Africa).

India has over 35 per cent of the world’s total illiterate population.

India today allocates lower than one per cent gross domestic product (GDP) to health.

The total number of Child labor in India is estimated to be 60 million.

On an average one Indian woman commits suicide every four hours over a dowry dispute.

Ten million girls have been killed by their parents in India in the past 20 years, either before they were born or immediately after, told Indian Minister for Women and Child Development

63 per cent of India’s new budget will go to the military, police, administration and debt service.

In the last two years, more than 218,000 people across India committed suicide mainly due to poverty, family feud, strained relationship with loved ones, dowry harassment and health problems.

For more indepth factual information please refer to: http://escapefromindia.wordpress.com/

Acrylic on Canvas, 76cm(w) x 101cm(h), 2009

Mixed Media on Canvas, 61cm(w) x 76.2cm(h), 2006

Like the wind you came in my dreams and took me away from here. From my dreams where I waited and waited for your return, from here where I spent many sleepless nights, I waited for the wind from your breath to take me away from here. Like the wind and my dreams you silently drifted away.

Guache on Newspaper, 35.5cm(w) x 57.7cm(h), 2008

Mother sells girl to lover

New Delhi: August 19 2002, Hindustan Times

A SEVENTEEN-YEAR OLD girl has become the victim of her mother’s illicit love affair.

Her mother tried to force her to have sex with a lover for several months, after which she tried in turn she tried to sell her daughter to her paramour and marry her off to him.

The mother has confessed to doing this, saying that her daughter’s marriage would be convenient for her to continue her affair with her lover.

The girl sought shelter with her uncle, but was turned away. After that she lodged a complaint with the police.

Her mother has been arrested. The lover is on the run.

The girl said she and her brother were in boarding schools and her father was away from the city on work for prolonged periods.

This gave her mother the opportunity to pursue an affair with Balwinder Malhotra, a secuirty guard working in a private firm.

After the girl came back from boarding school the mother allegdly  forced her to have sex with Malhotra. When she refused, her mother beat her. “Everyday she used to force me to have sex with him. Once he tried to molest me. But I locked myself in a room. Later I told him not to touch me again and it was after that incident that my mother started pestering me to get married to him,” the girl said.

A case of abduction and compelling someone to get married has been filed.

The girl’s uncle has been persuaded to give her shelter until her father returns from Punjab.

The police has also sealed the family two storeyed house in north west Delhi and handed over the keys to the girl.

Guache on Newspaper, 55cm(w) x 55cm(h), 2005

Man Chops wife’s hands for dowry

Udaipur: August 16 2002, Hindustan Times

Roshanlal couldn’t stand the sight of his wife. She nagged him about his illicit affair and worse, wasn’t getting the dowry he wanted. So he decided to teach her a lesson and chopped her hands off.

Now Manju 23, lies in the trauma ward of the Mahnrana Bhupal Hospital in Udaipur with the stubs that are left of her hands heavily bandaged.

Manju said she had been married to Roshanlal of Thamla village in Rajesthan for six years now. He worked as a milk vendor in Ahmendabad.

A year into her marriage and her in-laws and husband began hounding her for dowry. They started by selling off her jewellery. When Roshanlal began beating her up, Naju decided she couldn’t take it anymore and left for her parents home.

But Roshanlal soon made up with Manju and she joined her husband in Ahmendabad. She said Roshanlal’s behaviour only worsened. He refused to look at Manju and their four year old son and had an affair with a women in the neighbourhood.

On August 9, Manju when left for work found her husband with his lover, Pushpa. Roshanlal asked Maju if she had told her parents about the money he wanted. Then Pushpa forced Manju to stretch out her hands, after which she pulled out a long knife. Then, Pushpa slashed at Manju’s hands while Roshanlal pinned down her hands.

Guache on Art Paper, 2001 (SOLD)

Guache on Art Paper, 2001 (SOLD)

Mixed Media Canvas, 12.5cm(w) x 19cm(h), 2008