Exhibition Article: Tantra, Over the Sex — Rounak Rai’s Bold Contemporary Invocation of the Sacred Feminine
Venue: Sala Espositiva Mark Rothko, Università degli Artisti, Pietralunga, Italy
Curated by: Pietro Franesi
Opening: Saturday, 19th April 2025 – 8 PM
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In his powerful solo exhibition “Tantra, Over the Sex,” Indian contemporary artist Rounak Rai redefines the conversation between spirituality, sexuality, and sacred geometry through a body of work that is both meditative and provocative. Presented at the prestigious Mark Rothko Exhibition Hall in Pietralunga, Italy, the show draws deeply from Indian esoteric traditions while merging it with a strikingly modern visual language.
This exhibition is not merely about sex—it transcends it. Tantra here …
[10:14 AM, 7/20/2025] रौ.रा.: Tantra, Rounak Rai – To Weave Together
An International Solo Exhibition Journey Through Sacred Eroticism and Transcendental Geometry
By Art Journal Europe, July 2025
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In an era where contemporary Indian art is boldly reclaiming its cultural and spiritual roots, Rounak Rai stands as a singular voice—daring, disciplined, and deeply devoted to the fusion of form, philosophy, and inner awakening. His international solo exhibition, “Tantra, Rounak Rai – To Weave Together,” now showing in Pietralunga, Italy (April 19, 2025) and scheduled for Berlin, Germany (May 23–25, 2025), is a visual testament to his intricate spiritual inquiry, weaving together body, consciousness, and sacred geometry into an immersive aesthetic experience.
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Unpacking the Title: “To Weave Together”
The phrase “to weave together” is not just a poetic metaphor—it is the philosophical crux of Rai’s work. Drawing from Tantric doctrines, Rounak reinterprets ancient symbols of Shakti (divine feminine energy) and Shiva (divine masculine consciousness), using them not in isolation but in cyclical tension and union. The act of weaving in his visual language mimics the movement of Kundalini energy, coiling and rising through spiritual channels—Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna—until it merges into cosmic unity.
His artistic aim is not to depict Tantra as a sensual spectacle, but as a multi-layered metaphysical practice, where sacred eroticism serves as a portal to transcendental awareness.
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Visual Language and Sacred Geometry
In works like Tantra 1 and Tantra 2, featured in this exhibition, Rai uses acrylic on canvas with obsessive precision, engaging in an almost meditative repetition of line, spiral, and symmetrical structure. Influences from Yogic Mandalas, Sri Yantra patterns, and Buddhist Thangka compositions are evident—but Rai adapts them into a personal vocabulary.
The paintings don’t just symbolize spiritual awakening—they facilitate it. As viewers engage with triangles, circles, chakric alignments, and pulsating color fields, the works activate something internal, akin to mantra recitation or pranayama. Many viewers report a trance-like state while viewing his paintings—a testimony to the therapeutic undercurrent of his chromatic decisions.
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Colour Therapy and Symbolism
Rai’s mastery of colour is central to his work’s healing dimension. He draws from both traditional Indian colour symbolism and modern colour psychology:
Red and Orange: Symbolize Kundalini Shakti, energy of creation and sexual power. These tones dominate the genital forms and flame motifs, reflecting the igniting of life force.
Black and Indigo: Grounding and cosmic—used for background fields and shadowed bodies, these suggest void, unconsciousness, or death, a necessary prelude to rebirth.
White and Gold: Represent purity, moksha (liberation), and divine light. Seen in the central vaginal or yoni forms, they speak of transcendence through embodiment.
Green and Blue: Evoke the heart and throat chakras, signaling love, communication, and vibrational harmony. These are less dominant but crucial for balancing the spiritual palette.
Each canvas is treated not merely as a pictorial surface but as an energetic field—Rai sees his paintings as visual yantras, capable of channeling vibrations and inducing meditative calm in the viewer.
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Beyond Canvas: Feminine Divine and Sacred Eroticism
Unlike the kitsch portrayal of sex in modern media, Rai’s work is profoundly non-pornographic, despite its erotic roots. His female forms—though exposed, central, and monumental—are never objectified. Instead, they are deities, mothers, cosmic wombs, vessels of life and death.
In one recent work (seen in the companion exhibit “Tantra, Over the Sex”), the vaginal portal stands as the eye of the universe—yoking birth, vision, and transcendence. Here, sex is sacred, not sensational; it’s a ritual, not a reaction.
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From Karera to Berlin: A Rare Journey
Rounak Rai hails from Karera, a modest town in Madhya Pradesh—far from the art world’s neon hubs. Yet his career has spanned a remarkable trajectory from local group exhibitions to internationally curated solos. He has previously shown at institutions such as Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery, Mumbai, and Chitrakala Parishath, Bengaluru, but this dual European exhibition marks a powerful global turning point.
Pietro Franesi, the renowned Italian curator behind the exhibition, describes Rai as “a mystic disguised as a painter.” Franesi notes, “In a world of digital hyper-speed, Rai brings us back to breath, pulse, and presence. His work is both a painting and a meditation.”
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Upcoming in Berlin: The New Zuhause Gallery
Following the Italian debut, the exhibition will open at New Zuhause Gallery, Berlin, from 23–25 May 2025. Berlin, a city known for its avant-garde art and spiritual openness, is a fitting ground for Rai’s Tantra-inspired revelations. There, Rai will also lead a workshop with Berlin-based seekers on drawing as spiritual practice, bridging Eastern metaphysics with Western mindfulness.
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Final Reflection: A Contemporary Rishi with a Brush
Rounak Rai doesn’t paint for shock, sale, or spectacle. He paints as a form of sadhana, a ritualized commitment to personal and collective transformation. In his hands, the canvas becomes a mandala, the brush a mantra, and colour a breath—uniting not only body and soul, but tradition and future, sex and salvation.
As the exhibition title promises, this show weaves together not just disciplines or aesthetics—but entire worlds.
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Exhibition Details:
🖼️ Italy Show: April 19, 2025 – Sala espositiva Mark Rothko, Pietralunga, Italy
🖼️ Germany Show: May 23–25, 2025 – New Zuhause Gallery, Berlin
📩 RSVP: Pietro Franesi | franesipietro@gmail.com | +39 347 27 59 471
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