Srinagar, India
Artworks by Lucas Stoffel Fine art prints available on Etsy.
Mount Meru at the Prince George Gallery by Lucas Stoffel
I found myself deep in the Himalayas, in a region in North India called Kashmir. One day, with my camera in tow, we decided to venture into the streets and were taken in by some friendly locals who showed us around. Their adventures turned us down a side street where we passed through an open gate and headed under a canopy into a makeshift tent. Inside, locals had adorned the walls with hundreds of posters of Hindu gods, creating a neighborhood altar. The essence of my fascination with Hinduism started there in that tent; it became my own personal Mount Meru.
What Mount Meru means in Hinduism?
To Hindus, Mount Meru is believed to be located at the center of the cosmos and serves as the abode of gods and celestial beings. They often describe it as a vast cosmic mountain. The mountain is said to be so tall that it reaches the heavens and so deep that it extends deep into the nether world.
Hindu Gods by Lucas Stoffel
According to some legends, Mount Meru was created by the gods to serve as a pivot point, around which the sun, moon, planets, and stars revolve. It is also depicted as the dwelling place of various deities, including Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, and other divine beings. These Hindu Paintings are a depiction of these ideas.
Mount Meru at the Prince George Gallery by Lucas Stoffel
Hindu Paintings by Lucas Stoffel
I find my deepest inspiration in the profound beauty that emerges from human devotion to the unknown. The rituals, songs, and dances we've crafted around intangible entities like gods have always fascinated me. Through my art, I aim to explore and convey these cultural interpretations of spirituality.
My work is a fusion of hand painted contemporary aesthetics with the iconic screen-printed style of Pop Art pioneers like Lichtenstein and Warhol. I create visually captivating pieces with bold colors, dynamic compositions, and clean lines, often on large-scale canvases. Photography serves as the foundation for each piece, and I transform these images through digital manipulation and reinterpretation before bringing them to life with acrylic paints.