Who Am I? (Nān Yār in Tamil)

Who Am I? is more than a painting of a goddess; it is a self-portrait of a lifelong journey. The figure embodies beauty, divine femininity, creativity, and the abundance of life. Rather than a distant deity, she represents a constant presence through every season of existence joy, struggle, growth, and stillness. She is not a single moment but a continual process of becoming. The work draws from the South Indian traditions of Kerala Mural and Tamil Tanjore painting, both deeply connected to my cultural heritage. The luminous gold, intricate ornamentation, and vibrant colours reference Tanjore aesthetics, while the fluid, devotional qualities of Kerala Mural inform the figure’s presence. Created over one month using oil and acrylic paint, acrylic markers, and coloured pencil, every detail was built through a process of reflection and devotion. The act of making became an answer to the question itself: Nān Yār? (Who Am I?) a journey of remembering, reconnecting, and becoming.