“Sone Ka Hiran” – A Ramayana Series Painting by Rounak Rai
Celebrating Tradition through a Contemporary Lens
Artist Rounak Rai brings mythological narratives alive with his distinct and evocative visual style. In his painting “Sone Ka Hiran” from the Ramayana Series, Rai revisits the pivotal moment when Lord Rama aims his arrow at the golden deer — a deceptive illusion conjured by the demon Marich to separate Rama from Sita. However, it is not the story alone that captivates the viewer, but how Rai reimagines it with raw symbolism and folk-inspired aesthetics.
Rounak Rai’s artistic style blends narrative simplicity with powerful emotional undertones. His characters are rendered with flattened perspectives, bold outlines, and a minimal yet expressive color palette — reminiscent of traditional Indian folk art, particularly styles like Madhubani and Kalighat. Yet, Rai introduces a contemporary boldness: exaggerated expressions, theatrical gestures, and symbolic distortion that go beyond mere illustration.
In this work, Rama is shown in dynamic movement, his bow drawn with tense urgency. The golden deer, portrayed with a red demon-mask, starkly contrasts its innocent disguise, exposing the underlying deceit. Sita and Lakshman, positioned in the background, echo the emotional turmoil and tension of the moment. The hut, the forest, and the sage-like figure add spatial rhythm while grounding the myth in a rural, timeless setting.
What sets Rounak Rai apart is his unapologetic visual storytelling — merging folk traditions with a personal idiom that feels both ancient and immediate. His textures, often layered and weathered, seem to echo the oral transmission of stories — aged, but never irrelevant. Each stroke and figure becomes part of a larger narrative mosaic, inviting the viewer not only to see, but to feel and question.
“Sone Ka Hiran” is not just a mythological scene — it’s Rai’s ode to the layered fabric of Indian storytelling, where memory, metaphor, and meaning blend seamlessly into art.
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