गवाह / Gavaah takes inspiration from 17th-18th-century Rajasthani drawings, which at first glance appear to be simple mathematical diagrams, but are in fact intricate mandalas that represent accurate astronomical calculations based on Vedic astrology. For me, it's refreshing to see evidence of a time when science and spirituality weren't opposing forces but inseparable lenses for observing our universe.

In this drawing, I position myself as an observer of Jupiter / Guru. I create overlapping circles that intersect, cutting a central circle into multiple parts. I chose Jupiter because I was already in the habit of watching it set from my window in the evenings, and it also happens to be the planet that determines my life’s blueprint in Vedic astrology.

The swirling lines filling most of the central circle reference pictures of Jupiter’s storm-riddled surface taken by NASA’s Juno spacecraft in 2016. One section features a pattern of diamonds and triangles that mimics the traditional format of birth charts. Another contains vacant circles, which are the negative spaces depicting shadows cast by Jupiter's inner moons on its surface. A different section shows the exact position of Jupiter and its Galilean moons from the last time I viewed them with my binoculars in April 2024, just before the planet moved behind the Sun and disappeared from the night sky for a month.

In terms of process, this drawing became an exercise in achieving a variety of textures from mark-making with the same tool. While the hint of red is a nod to the sacred or ritualistic, the texture of the beige hemp paper reflects something old and worn-out.