Artist's Statement:

Bharatanatyam is a form of Indian classical dance and theater that uses mudras, or hand gestures and dance to tell stories about Indian mythology. This specific mudra is called the Pasha Hasta mudra and it signifies a fight or internal conflict. I remember when I used to learn Bharatanatyam. I was unable to fully appreciate the beauty of this dance at the time. Now that I am older and recognize its cultural significance, I feel that I have lost some part of my Indian identity having never learnt it fully. It is this conflict that many first generation children face which I tried to show with this painting. Although I do not dance bharatanatyam anymore, I am able to find some connection to this dance through art.