Portrait of Gandhi Is My Attempt To Understand Different Countries in the World

Gandhi is my most recent collage.  I have been studying leaders of the Middle East and Asia in my quest to understand that part of the world.  Two other recent pieces depict the Shah of Iran and Anwar Sadat.

In this piece, I wanted to portray Gandhi as the loving father of his people.  He is revered in India for his gentle and generous character, which was under-laid with a strong will to develop his country and improve the economic status of his countrymen -- particularly the lowest class.

Here you see him wearing his shiny gold eyeglasses surrounded by the colors of the Indian flag, creating a halo effect.  The brown ribs surrounding his head represent the spokes of a spinning wheel.  Gandhi viewed the spinning wheel as a symbol of economic independence for his people.  If they could make their own clothing, they could build their economy.  A spinning wheel is found still today in the center of the Indian flag.    

This is a companion piece for my landscape, The Partitioning of India -- 1947, depicting the spin-off of Pakistan and Bangladesh from India and the massive migrations of people to their new homelands.  Gandhi was assassinated one year later in 1948.    

If you would like more information on owning a piece of my collection or would like to commission a piece, please contact me. I would be happy to speak with you to create something unique.