Lankapati Ravana

Acrylic on Italian Paper

150H x 96W cm

2022

I have found Ravana to be one of the most complex characters in the ancient Indian / Hindu mythological canon.  As the ten-headed demon (Rakshasa) king of the epic Ramayana, he was    eventually slain by the hero, Rama, after kidnapping Rama’s wife, Sita.  Ravana, however, also had numerous admirable traits:  he was an accomplished scholar, astrologer, an adept ruler and a devotee of Shiva.  I painted him with a Jungian perspective in mind - his ten heads reflecting this multi-faceted nature that underpins the human psyche.  The skull in this right hand symbolises his demonic side and ultimate demise.