{"id":1857650,"date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1857650"},"modified":"2026-03-31T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T21:00:00","slug":"anoushka-mirchandani-conjures-ancient-mythological-nature-spirits-in-vibrant-oil-paintings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1857650","title":{"rendered":"Anoushka Mirchandani Conjures Ancient Mythological Nature Spirits in Vibrant Oil Paintings"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1109\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-3.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"A large, horizontal figurative painting of a group of faceless female figures seated near a stream\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cAll Us Come Cross The Water\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 84 x 151 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and ICA San Francisco, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Anoushka Mirchandani Conjures Ancient Mythological Nature Spirits in Vibrant Oil Paintings<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-03-31T16:09:26-05:00\">March 31, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><a class=\"category-nature\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/nature\/\" rel=\"tag\">Nature<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F03%2Fanoushka-mirchandani-my-body-was-a-river-once-paintings%2F&amp;title=Anoushka%20Mirchandani%20Conjures%20Ancient%20Mythological%20Nature%20Spirits%20in%20Vibrant%20Oil%20Paintings\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"472167\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Throughout Southeast Asia, nymph-like, shape-shifting deities associated with clouds and water known as <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Apsara\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>apsaras<\/em><\/a> are commonly depicted in sculptures and other artworks dating back millennia. For San Francisco-based artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.anoushkamirchandani.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Anoushka Mirchandani<\/a>, who was born in India, these mythological beings are the spirits, so to speak, of vibrant oil paintings.<\/p>\n<p>Tapping into family memories and her upbringing influenced by South Asian cultural traditions, Mirchandani explores mythology and perception. Her current solo exhibition, <em>My Body Was a River Once<\/em> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.icasanjose.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ICA San Jos\u00e9<\/a>, explores the tradition of the <em>apsara<\/em> through a lens of timelessness, femininity, and biophilia. Curated by Zo\u00eb Latner, the show emphasizes the dynamic between power and vulnerability, exemplified by Mirchandani\u2019s approach to the figures\u2019 presence and ease amid the unpredictability of nature.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-4.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472167\" title=\"\u201cBy the Perequ\u00ea-\u00c1\u00e7u\u201d (2025), oil and oil pastel on canvas, 48 x 36 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cBy the Perequ\u00ea-\u00c1\u00e7u\u201d (2025), oil and oil pastel on canvas, 48 x 36 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cBy the Perequ\u00ea-\u00c1\u00e7u\u201d (2025), oil and oil pastel on canvas, 48 x 36 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2652\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-4.jpg\" alt=\"A figurative painting of a faceless female figure seated in a woodland\" class=\"wp-image-472174\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cBy the Perequ\u00ea-\u00c1\u00e7u\u201d (2025), oil and oil pastel on canvas, 48 x 36 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As a child, Mirchandani observed <em>apsaras<\/em> in the <a href=\"https:\/\/whc.unesco.org\/en\/list\/242\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ancient Buddhist caves<\/a> of Ajanta and Ellora. \u201cThese water-women are beings of transformation, embodying sensuality, cosmic energy, and the transmission of matrilineal knowledge,\u201d says an exhibition statement.<\/p>\n<p>In the paintings, figures are at one with their surroundings, virtually faceless with the exception of shadows that suggest lips and noses. The outlines of their bodies merge with tropical plants, moss, boulders, and flowing streams, and their flesh is partly transparent. Additionally, the underpainting of each work comprises a terracotta red, inspired by the clay-rich soil of the Indian states of Goa and Maharashtra. Starting with this earthy pigment literally grounds Mirchandani\u2019s compositions in a sense of home and belonging.<\/p>\n<p><em>My Body Was a River Once <\/em>continues through August 23. See more on Mirchandani\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/anoushka\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472167\" title=\"\u201cRites of Return\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 80 x 73 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cRites of Return\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 80 x 73 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cRites of Return\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 80 x 73 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2180\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-6.jpg\" alt=\"A figurative painting of a faceless female figure amid tropical plants\" class=\"wp-image-472176\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cRites of Return\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 80 x 73 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472167\" title=\"Left panel of \u201cAll Us Come Cross The Water\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"Left panel of \u201cAll Us Come Cross The Water\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"Left panel of \u201cAll Us Come Cross The Water\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2231\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-1.jpg\" alt=\"A detail of a large, horizontal figurative painting of a group of faceless female figures seated near a stream\" class=\"wp-image-472171\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left panel of \u201cAll Us Come Cross The Water\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472167\" title=\"Right panel of \u201cAll Us Come Cross The Water\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"Right panel of \u201cAll Us Come Cross The Water\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"Right panel of \u201cAll Us Come Cross The Water\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2198\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-2.jpg\" alt=\"A detail of a large, horizontal figurative painting of a group of faceless female figures seated near a stream\" class=\"wp-image-472172\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Right panel of \u201cAll Us Come Cross The Water\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472167\" title=\"\u201cCherry Springs\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 40 x 30 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cCherry Springs\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 40 x 30 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cCherry Springs\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 40 x 30 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2652\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-5.jpg\" alt=\"A figurative painting of a faceless female figure seated near a stream\" class=\"wp-image-472175\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cCherry Springs\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 40 x 30 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-9.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472167\" title=\"\u201cYou Could Pull The Tide In By Her Hair\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 60 x 48 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cYou Could Pull The Tide In By Her Hair\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 60 x 48 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cYou Could Pull The Tide In By Her Hair\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 60 x 48 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2495\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-9.jpg\" alt=\"A figurative painting of a faceless female figure in a natural pool near a small waterfall\" class=\"wp-image-472170\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cYou Could Pull The Tide In By Her Hair\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 60 x 48 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-8.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472167\" title=\"\u201cVanishing Point\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 40 x 30 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cVanishing Point\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 40 x 30 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cVanishing Point\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 40 x 30 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2481\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-8.jpg\" alt=\"A figurative painting of a faceless female figure with long black hair amid tropical plants\" class=\"wp-image-472169\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cVanishing Point\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 40 x 30 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-7.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472167\" title=\"\u201cTo Tear a Hundred Veils\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 60 x 45 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cTo Tear a Hundred Veils\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 60 x 45 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cTo Tear a Hundred Veils\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 60 x 45 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2643\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mirchandani-7.jpg\" alt=\"A figurative painting of a faceless female figure lounging amid tropical plants\" class=\"wp-image-472168\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cTo Tear a Hundred Veils\u201d (2025), oil, oil pastel, and oil stick on canvas, 60 x 45 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark 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All images courtesy of the artist and ICA San Francisco, shared with permission Anoushka Mirchandani Conjures Ancient Mythological Nature Spirits in Vibrant Oil Paintings March 31, 2026 ArtNature Kate Mothes Share Email Bookmark Throughout Southeast Asia, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-1857650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1857650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1857650"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1857650\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1857650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1857650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1857650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}