Heart House
Heart House
The heart is the universal symbol for human emotion, which is why notions of closeness and vulnerability are expressed through this trope. Anything or anyone we adore is often referred to as “close to the heart.” One’s home is the most intimate built space that can be experienced, and Heart House is an architectural and sculptural allegory for this feeling of belonging. Each space in the house is a metaphor for the different members of the human heart, reflecting their functions and roles in oxygenating and recharging blood. The connectivity between the rooms of the house and their circulation paths are also akin to the movement of a blood molecule through the oxygenation process. This network generates a labyrinth of unique spaces, with both private nooks and expansive moments.
The heart is the universal symbol for human emotion, which is why notions of closeness and vulnerability are expressed through this trope. Anything or anyone we adore is often referred to as “close to the heart.” One’s home is the most intimate built space that can be experienced, and Heart House is an architectural and sculptural allegory for this feeling of belonging. Each space in the house is a metaphor for the different members of the human heart, reflecting their functions and roles in oxygenating and recharging blood. The connectivity between the rooms of the house and their circulation paths are also akin to the movement of a blood molecule through the oxygenation process. This network generates a labyrinth of unique spaces, with both private nooks and expansive moments.
Satluj-Godāvarī 2024
gouache and gold foil on card, 20" x 30"
According to legend, Guru Gobind Singh sacrificed treasures by pouring them into the Godavari river in his past life, a practice he repeated with the Satluj river during his time as Guru. These events are poetically expanded and vividly illustrated in Suraj Prakash, creating passages that read like descriptive paintings.
In one narrative, a Fakir visits Guru Sahib, bringing a bouquet of white flowers as an offering. The Fakir recounts a moment when, while bathing in a water body, he was pulled into the depths and encountered a man and a woman composed of various sea creatures. The ocean, personified as a surrealist mer-creature (top right), instructs the Fakir to deliver a message to Guru Gobind Singh about the treasures kept safe by the ocean’s two wives—the Satluj river (mer-creature on top left) holding a value of 9 crore and 55 lakhs, and the Godavari river holding an even larger amount. The ocean assures that these riches can be retrieved whenever needed (with interest!)
Upon hearing the Fakir’s story, Guru Gobind Singh calmly acknowledges that he is aware of these events. He explains that the referenced creatures were the personifications of the ocean and his wives, the Satluj and Godavari rivers. Guru Sahib reveals that these rivers are safeguarding the treasures for a future time when they will be given to the children of the Khalsa. The Fakir remains puzzled, but Guru Sahib clarifies that the message was intended for the Fakir because he too will become a child of the Khalsa when it flourishes.
SYMBOLS
Although the Satluj river and Ocean are included as anthropomorphized mer-creatures, the aquatic life in this painting is reflective of:
1. freshwater species native to both the Godavari and Satluj rivers
2. marine corals and seashells (making up only the treasure palace) found in the Ocean
The riches in the treasure palace, safeguarded by the Godavari and Satluj rivers for future generations of the Khalsa, are all purposefully selected. Surrounded by frescoes walls, there are gold and silver coins, precious gemstones, ceramics, and many shastars (arms).
Shastars, included in this painting, believed to have belonged to Guru Gobind Singh and/or associated with him:
• Saif
• Khanda
• Chakar
• Ast Bhuja
• Katar
• Kukri
DETAILS
