Mountains in Sunlight was created after a visit to a Greater Himalayas viewpoint in Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand, during the exceptionally dry winter of November 2025. The lack of snowfall left the facade of Nanda Devi exposed, revealing its distinct geological strata. This sight left me thinking of which layers once formed the ancient Tethys Ocean, the shifting states of the planet during their formation, and the brevity of human existence in comparison.

For the past two years, I have been exploring the landscape-like quality of line-making alongside research into how the sacred evolves over time. Through these geological lines, I approach the landscape not merely as scenery, but as a vast repository for both planetary and human history, vibrant under the same Sun.

Returning to Delhi during a period of catastrophic air pollution, the slow, deliberate nature of this drawing extended my engagement with a time and place where my surroundings felt divine. This specific work marks a brief departure from seeking the divine through archival texts and artefacts, finding it instead within the immediate physical landscape and everyday life. This transition is mirrored in the palette; moving away from a largely monochromatic language, the introduction of varied colour signifies a shift from the world of screens and books into an open acknowledgement of presence, vitality and unexpected alignment.