LIMITED EDITION
BHAIRAVI MODI
PANCHATANTRA SERIES
Bhairavi Modi is a contemporary visual artist based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Born on 19 August 1980, she completed a Diploma in Drawing and Painting from Sheth C.N. College of Fine Arts, Ahmedabad, and later earned a Post Diploma in Creative Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Baroda.
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Over the past two decades, Bhairavi has established a significant presence in the Indian art scene through numerous solo and group exhibitions. Her major solo shows include When the Pawari Calls (2019), Panchtantra: Chiaroscuro of Jingle to Jazz (2015), My Journey (2014), Leela (2014), and Language of Life (2011).
She has participated in prestigious exhibitions and art festivals across India and internationally, including shows in London, New York, Sydney, Mumbai, Delhi, Surat, Baroda, and Ahmedabad. Her work has been featured in charity exhibitions, international competitions, and cultural festivals.
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Bhairavi received the Gujarat State Lalit Kala Scholarship in 2014 and won the India Art Award and Gujarat State Lalit Kala Academy Award in 2017. Her artworks are part of notable private and corporate collections, including ITC Narmada, Adani Group, and Torrent Power Limited.
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Today, she continues to create, exhibit, and contribute to contemporary Indian art through painting, murals, residencies, and auctions.
Limited Edition
Total 25 Lamps
Sweetdish
Panchatantra Series
This artwork is based on the popular fable of the Monkey and the Crocodile. A monkey lives with his mate on a jamun (Indian blackberry) tree. Every day, a crocodile visits the tree to eat the sweet fruits. One day, the crocodile thinks to himself that if the jamun fruits are so sweet, then the monkey’s heart must be even sweeter. Driven by greed, he invites the monkey to ride on his back and cross the river. While they are in the middle of the river, the crocodile reveals his true intention—to eat the monkey’s heart.
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Instead of panicking, the monkey remains calm and uses his presence of mind. He tells the crocodile, “Oh! I forgot my heart on the jamun tree. Please take me back so I can bring it.” Believing him, the crocodile returns to the tree. As soon as they reach the bank, the monkey quickly climbs the tree and says, “You foolish crocodile! Who leaves their heart behind?” Through his intelligence and quick thinking, the monkey escapes from the crocodile’s trap.
I have titled this artwork “Sweet Dish.” The title reflects the crocodile’s belief that the monkey’s heart would be the sweetest delicacy of all. At a deeper level, the work conveys the importance of intelligence, presence of mind, and making the right decisions in moments of danger.
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To strengthen this concept visually, I have included a large alarm clock in the background as a symbol of alertness, timely thinking, and awareness. I have also depicted children playing chess. Chess is a game that is won not by physical strength but through intelligence, planning, and strategy. Similarly, the monkey survives by using his wit and strategic thinking rather than force. The chess players therefore symbolize wisdom, foresight, and the power of strategy, reinforcing the central message of the artwork.
- Bhairavi Modi
Limited Edition
Total 25 Lamps
Talkative Tortoise
Panchatantra Series
The artwork highlights the importance of controlling one’s speech. It draws inspiration from the well-known fable of the two swans and the tortoise, which teaches us when and how much to speak. In the story, two swans decide to help a tortoise move from a dry area to a place with abundant water. They ask the tortoise to hold a stick firmly in its mouth while they carry it from both ends and strictly warn it not to speak during the journey. However, unable to control its urge to talk, the tortoise opens its mouth to speak, falls from the sky, and loses its life.
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To depict this idea visually, I have incorporated various elements associated with sound. A large whistle appears in the background, symbolizing the presence, intensity, and impact of sound. I have also included the image of a woman purchasing glass bangles, representing the rhythmic jingling and everyday sounds that surround us. Through these elements, I have attempted to visualize sound and its influence on human behavior. The artwork ultimately highlights the value of restraint in speech and reminds us that careless words can sometimes lead to unintended consequences.
- Bhairavi Modi
About Panchatantra
The Panchatantra is one of the world's oldest and most celebrated collections of stories. Written around the 3rd century BCE by Pandit Vishnu Sharma, it was composed to educate the three princes of King Amarshakti through engaging tales filled with wisdom, strategy, and moral insight.
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Using birds and animals as allegories for human nature, Vishnu Sharma created the Panchatantra, divided into five books: Mitra-Bheda, Mitra-Samprapti, Kakolukiyam, Labdhapranasham, and Aparikshitakarakam. These stories transformed the princes into wise and discerning rulers.
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Translated into more languages than any work except the Bible, the Panchatantra remains one of the greatest classics of storytelling, inspiring readers across cultures and generations with its timeless lessons on life and human nature.
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Panchatantra from My Perception
Generally, we relate it with children when we talk about the stories of Panchatantra. I believe that childhood is such a phase in human life wherein the personality explicates. Those thoughts and beliefs will linger for a lifetime.​
Vendors and hawkers were my subjects before this series. According to me, they live a very unadulterated, struggled, yet joyful life. So I have tried to relate Panchatantra to day-to-day life. At the end of the story, the morals should be applied in our lives.​
I never pre-decide what I want to paint. Especially when I was working on some particular subject, it is important for me to create a painting aesthetically pleasing. It should not seem like an illustration.
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Panchatantra is a subject for me where I have a base of story. But I have to decide how I want to say it and in what context I want to say it! Generally, with the choice of my elements, I try to convey what my intent is.
- Bhairavi Modi
Art reminds us that utility has never been life's highest purpose.
