Between diplomatic cables and an exceptionally busy schedule, Jayant N. Khobragade, the Ambassador of India to Spain and Andorra, has been building another world of his own — one of swirling colours, mythic figures and luminous landscapes. His latest exhibition in Delhi, ‘Journey with the Divine Flow’, has brought that parallel life into view. Presented by Arth Art International and curated by Gargi Seth, the show at Travancore Palace Gallery features 45 works across oil, acrylic, mixed media and installation; it was inaugurated with an artist talk with art curator and critic Jyoti A. Kathpalia on April 1.
The exhibition is on till April 5. It features three interconnected themes: nature, rhythm and the divine. In Khobragade’s works, nature provides the viewers a contemplative space. This sensibility extends into works inspired by music and dance, where figures have been featured in motion, dissolving into colour. Alongside these are compositions inspired by Indian mythology, with recurring references to Krishna, Shiva, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
Epic on canvas
One of the most important works, ‘Gita’, is a large-scale composition developed over six months — it integrates multiple philosophical strands from the Bhagavad Gita, including karma yoga (the path of selfless action), jnana yoga (the path of knowledge) and bhakti yoga (the path of devotion).
The monumental painting captures the moment of counsel between Krishna and Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Rendered in blue, Krishna stands with an uplifted arm, embodying divine authority and calm amid the chaos. Opposite him, Arjuna is shown in warm tones, clad in armour, kneeling on one knee with his head bowed as he receives Krishna’s guidance.
The background appears in sweeping strokes of orange, green, and blue, teeming with forms and faces of combatants, animals, chariot wheels swirling together in colour that evokes the intensity and turbulence of war.
Other works, drawing on themes of mythology and spirituality, include portraits of Ganesha, Shiva and Krishna; ‘Octo-Ganesha’, a mosaic of overlapping geometric forms that brings together eight visages of the deity within a single frame; as well as several depictions of the Buddha, among others.
In contrast, Khobragade’s explorations of nature and landscape comprise a sunrise rendered in soft, delicate strokes; and a vivid view of Venice, where buildings in blue, purple, yellow and orange line along a canal, with boats drifting through the water that cuts between them.
A painting of autumn woods is especially striking. The interplay of blues, browns and ochres is handled with finesse, while tall trees, lit with yellowing leaves, recede gently into the background, creating a visually soothing scene. Another standout is a large canvas featuring three dancers clad in pink. Their skirts intersect and flow into one another as they whirl in motion, giving a sense of rhythm and grace.
A self-taught journey
Apart from conventional paints, Khobragade also incorporates clay into his works, using it primarily to outline forms or add intricate details. The intent, he explains, is to introduce a three-dimensional quality to his paintings. “I wanted to move beyond a literal depiction,” the artist says, describing his effort to embed multiple ideas within a single visual field, allowing the viewer to keep discovering new layers. “A painting is usually two-dimensional, but I wanted to bring in a sense of relief,” he noted. “So I build layers of acrylic, clay, then oil to create that effect.”
He also believes that his lack of formal training has enabled a freer, more intuitive approach to composition and perspective. A self-taught artist with over three decades of experience, the Ambassador’s journey into art began with a childhood passion for sketching, though he only started pursuing painting in earnest in the mid-1990s.
“I started painting without any particular objective; it was just for myself,” he said. Encouragement from friends, who were struck by his work, prompted him to pursue it further. His first exhibition, held at Lalit Kala Akademi in 1997, centred on an interpretation of the legendary poet Mirza Ghalib.
Discipline, art and divine
It is indeed demanding balancing a diplomatic career with one’s passion. However, the artist attributes his ability to sustain both to discipline and careful time management. He consciously sets aside moments for painting despite a full schedule of official responsibilities. Meditation helps him immensely in staying focused.
For Khobragade, art becomes a means of exploring big existential questions — “a way of seeking meaning, of allowing the finite to reach towards the infinite, and of discovering that the divine is not distant, but present in all that surrounds and moves within us.”
This belief originates from his understanding of beauty as a gateway to the sacred. “Wherever there is beauty, there is an element of divinity. Nature, for me, is where the divine first reveals itself… petal by petal, leaf by leaf, in a language that is quiet yet profound,” he says. All his work has been an attempt “to give that presence a shape; something we can recognise, revere and connect with.”
(Written by Pankil Jhajhria)
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