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Lot Essay
Gulam Rasool Santosh was a pioneering figure in India’s Neo-Tantric movement, best known for his vivid geometric abstractions rooted in the esoteric philosophies of Kashmiri Shaivism. Born in Srinagar in 1929 to a devout Muslim family, Santosh’s spiritual worldview expanded to embrace multiple faiths including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Over the course of his five decade long career, Santosh’s artistic practice progressed from early academic and Cubist explorations of figuration, to textured landscapes inspired by Kashmir, and finally to a singular focus on the symbolic and meditative forms of tantric philosophy, influenced by a transformative encounter with the ice-formed Shiva lingam in the Amarnath caves in 1964.
The present lot exemplifies Santosh’s recognizable Neo-Tantric style. Constructed with the artist’s typical symmetry, the painting is composed of forms that evoke a seated female figure in padmasana, or the lotus position. The figure speaks directly to the presence of Shakti, the divine feminine energy in Tantric belief. As Shantiveer Kaul writes, “Viewed from a certain perspective, most of Santosh’s neo-tantric paintings look like stylized portraits of the female form, seated in padmasana, the lotus position. This is not a coincidence; there is a definite suggestion of the female torso in the placement of geometric elements within the composition” (S. Kaul, ‘The Journey, The Artist and his World, The Journey, Awakening, A Retrospective of G. R. Santosh, New Delhi, 2011, p. 21).
Santosh’s symmetrical constructions are more than a stylistic choice, they are meditations on cosmic order. His use of color in this painting is equally significant. The background here is rendered in a bold, saturated red, invoking energy and vitality, while the central figure appears in tones of black and grey, introducing stillness and introspection. The scattered lilac accents emphasise the geometry of the form, suggesting the flow of energies. A yellow orb positioned near the bottom of the composition glows with quiet intensity, offering a focal point that may signify spiritual illumination or cosmic radiance. These hues are not solely decorative; they work together with the form to generate a visual and spiritual equilibrium. As Kishore Singh notes, “While looking at Santosh’s work, it is important not to be seized merely by its form. For the painter, one of the characteristic elements of his art was the use of colour, which according to Kashmir’s Shaivite philosophy, represents different forms and flows of energy. Santosh chose his colours carefully to communicate that power, but it was in the rendition of the radiance that he interpreted it best” (K. Singh, ed., Awakening, A Retrospective of G. R. Santosh, New Delhi, 2011, p. 148).
The present lot exemplifies Santosh’s recognizable Neo-Tantric style. Constructed with the artist’s typical symmetry, the painting is composed of forms that evoke a seated female figure in padmasana, or the lotus position. The figure speaks directly to the presence of Shakti, the divine feminine energy in Tantric belief. As Shantiveer Kaul writes, “Viewed from a certain perspective, most of Santosh’s neo-tantric paintings look like stylized portraits of the female form, seated in padmasana, the lotus position. This is not a coincidence; there is a definite suggestion of the female torso in the placement of geometric elements within the composition” (S. Kaul, ‘The Journey, The Artist and his World, The Journey, Awakening, A Retrospective of G. R. Santosh, New Delhi, 2011, p. 21).
Santosh’s symmetrical constructions are more than a stylistic choice, they are meditations on cosmic order. His use of color in this painting is equally significant. The background here is rendered in a bold, saturated red, invoking energy and vitality, while the central figure appears in tones of black and grey, introducing stillness and introspection. The scattered lilac accents emphasise the geometry of the form, suggesting the flow of energies. A yellow orb positioned near the bottom of the composition glows with quiet intensity, offering a focal point that may signify spiritual illumination or cosmic radiance. These hues are not solely decorative; they work together with the form to generate a visual and spiritual equilibrium. As Kishore Singh notes, “While looking at Santosh’s work, it is important not to be seized merely by its form. For the painter, one of the characteristic elements of his art was the use of colour, which according to Kashmir’s Shaivite philosophy, represents different forms and flows of energy. Santosh chose his colours carefully to communicate that power, but it was in the rendition of the radiance that he interpreted it best” (K. Singh, ed., Awakening, A Retrospective of G. R. Santosh, New Delhi, 2011, p. 148).