As the Lord of the Cosmic Dance, Shiva beats out the rhythm of the universe on his drum and sets in motion the swirling harmonies of the universe.

The traditional iconography on which this silhouette is loosely based incorporates various features with symbolic meaning. Lord Shiva is portrayed with four arms: one hand beats out the cosmic rhythm on a drum; another is raised to placate fear; a third holds a flame (in this case in the form of the sacred Om symbol) to represent the fire that destroys and creates the universe; and the fourth hand points towards the raised foot in a gesture that refers to salvation. The design incorporates the Sanskrit text of the mantra Om Namaha Shivaya ("Om, I bow to Lord Shiva").


Original silhouette paper-cut (mounted inside a tambourine). Version (a) in black paper - sold. In a private collection. Version (b) in dark brown paper still available: £100. Prints also available. Please contact me for further details or to commission similar work.