Fascinated by mystical religious traditions within Kashmiri Shaivism, a branch of Indian philosophy, Santosh implemented ancient tantric iconographies in his work and subsequently reinterpreted them by reducing them to abstractions, culminating in the construction of a fresh aesthetic language. Launching himself at the vanguard of the neo-Tantric movement, his work centered around the esoteric symbols found in Buddhist and Hindu tantrism. This vertically symMetricas
l picture plane consists a figure seated in a stylized padmasana, the meditative lotus position. Santosh has decorated the body with yantras, or sacred geoMetricas
l symbols, that signify the regenerative aspects of consciousness. The face is composed of a circular naad bindu, representing the cosmos in its equivocal state, sharing an axis with a further geometric oval at the abdomen. The curved contours of the body delineate a voluptuous feminine aspect, softening the angular lines. Santosh encloses the patterns of the universe in bright colors and fleshy forms. The figure is acutely vivid against the dark background, an expression of the Shaivist belief that deems each person inherently enlightened. The painted borders on the canvas and the multiple limbs, layers and fragments composing this creation express the multifaceted and infinite nature of the individual as it connects with its nuanced environment.
