Vishnu.

Vishnu: Hinduism’s Blue-Skinned Savior

Since I am unable to attend the trip to the Majid Al Islam tomorrow night, I went to see the Vishnu exhibition at the Frist Center after class.  It was a wonderful show and I would definitely recommend everyone go see it before it leaves at the end of May.  The show focused on sculpture, textile design, and paintings that featured Vishnu and his avatars.  Vishnu himself is the savior, but also recognized as the creator and destroyer of the universe.  Vishnu is easily recognizable because he is the only god to stand straight and his blue complexion separates him from others.  He is depicted carrying four objects, one in each hand.  He carries a discus, a mace, a chakra (conch shell), and a lotus.  The mace is his favorite weapon while the conch shell is used as a trumpet for battle, to which the sound is said to have left enemies “paralyzed in fear.” 

Avatars allow gods to decent to earth in more concrete forms.  The different avatars of Vishnu represent different aspects of the god.  They are easier for worshippers of Vishnu, called Vaishnavas, to relate to.  Vishnu has ten primary avatars, but on occasion Krishna is included so the exhibition focused on eleven.  I really enjoyed the art related to Matsya the fish because he is the form that retrieved the sacred Vedas and saved the ancestor of all humans during the great flood. 

The ninth avatar was actually the Buddha, founder of the Buddhist religion, which I found very curious.  However, in the Vaishnava tradition, he is celebrated as a false prophet.

No matter the medium, the artwork that was featured at this show was incredibly detailed and ornate.  The carvings often featured a multitude of forms, especially in the arches for the Vishnu figure.  I noticed that the art was very colorful often featuring reds, blues, yellows, and greens with a focus of gold leaf or metallic paint.  There was a work titled, Fragment of a-Lampas-Weave Textile Depicting Avatars of Vishnu that was absolutely gorgeous.  The amount of detail work was truly amazing.  I have looked everywhere online, but have not been able to find it—just another reason everyone should see the show while it is here!  Another common aspect of Vishnu’s form was that he appeared very feminine, like he was gender neutral.  It was interesting to think about. 

At one point there were color lithographical posters from Bollywood production, which I was intrigued by since I am study graphic design. 

Lastly, the final room of the exhibit featured objects and photos from home shrines from Hindu families in the Nashville community.  It was interesting to see how a family made room for a special place in their house.  There was even an area setup for people to sit and meditate.  It was a nice place to sit and reflect after the exhibition. 

*I would like to add more photos, but pictures of some of the work featured at the show are hard to find.  I will try and scan in some from the program itself.