Darshan was inspired by a visit to see Amma, who comes every year from India to give her blessings.

In order to see her one has to wait a long time, queuing for most of the day, in a large hall with many other people, surrounded by images of Hindu deities, most notably for me were those of Kali, musicians play for most of the day, people sing and chant. There is a point where the music fills your head so much that it almost becomes unbearable. The central figure is inspired by all those images I saw, rather than being a rendition of them.

What I am trying to recreate is what I felt more than anything else, these figures are more like a personal set of mythologies, they are not symbols from any mainsteam religion. What I hope to create is a sense of magnitude, but also otherworldliness. The horses in the middle appear to be emerging out of nothing, or from each other. There is part of a reflection below, which suggests there may be more, but that we can't see.

Behind the wings of the central figure is a different space from the rest of the painting that appears to be opening up behind her. Below the feet of the horses is a loop, which is suggestive of the symbol for infinity.

Different realities are suggested by reflection, repetition and layers. Behind the hoses there is a sense of space, yet behind the wings of the central figure, the space is quite dense and flat, another place altogether.