Ehsaas presents a solo exhibition titled “Shiva – All Encompassing” by Kolkata-based artist Samik De, curated by the internationally acclaimed artist and curator Manisha Gawade. This thoughtfully constructed digital show will go live online from Monday, July 21st to August 4th, 2025, with a formal viewing launch at 7:30 PM IST on Monday, July 21st, 2025. The exhibition is part of Ehsaas’ continued efforts to take powerful visual narratives to global audiences through the online medium.
What makes this exhibition compelling is its deep and layered interpretation of Shiva — not merely as a god, but as an eternal, paradoxical force that transcends form, logic, and time. Samik’s works use intricate ink detailing and vibrant acrylics to portray Shiva as Adi Purusha, Nataraja, Ardhanarishwar, Kal Bhairav, Adi Yogi, suavely weaving opposites into harmony. Each painting is a portal to connect oneself in a meditative trance focused on duality: fierceness and compassion, austerity and play, renunciation and intimacy.
Shravan, also known as Sawan, is the fifth month in the Hindu calendar, and it is considered the most auspicious month for worshipping Lord Shiva. It typically falls between late July and August and is marked by intense devotion, rituals, and fasting, especially on Mondays, which are known as Shravan Somwar.
The churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan) is a significant event associated with Shravan. During this process, Lord Shiva consumed the Halahala poison that emerged, which is why he is known as Neelkanth (blue throat).
This online show is a part of Manisha Gawade’s annual digital exhibition initiative, which she curates through Ehsaas to provide visibility to exceptional artists while removing geographical boundaries for viewers. Now in its successive years, the initiative has become an important moment in the digital Indian art calendar — celebrating both the accessibility of online spaces and the depth of Indian visual storytelling.
“Shiva is not just one form, one energy, one idea. He is completeness — contradiction and calm in the same breath. This is what I have tried to express visually in this body of work,” says Samik De, whose 20+ years of practice and devotion to mythological subjects find a fresh voice through his signature ink-acrylic technique.
“Each year I look for artists whose work has emotional truth and artistic discipline. Samik’s work does both — it speaks to the sacred, without being formulaic. I’m proud to present this journey into the many dimensions of Shiva,” shares Manisha Gawade, curator and founder of Ehsaas.
The exhibition offers viewers a chance to engage with the multi-faceted symbolism of Shiva through Samik’s modern yet deeply spiritual lens — inviting reflection, resonance, and inner dialogue.
