Jai Khanna

His miniature modern artworks are both surreal and spiritual, prompting the audience to introspect deeply. The artist shares his experiences with Jainism and the thoughts that inspired his last exhibit

- NAYARE ALI

Your last exhibit ‘Inward Trail’ was at Bikaner House in Delhi a few months ago. Tell us what you had in mind when you planned the exhibition.

I’m a staunch follower of Lord Krishna and didn’t know anything about Jainisim till three years ago. In 2019, I had a fascinating experience at Mount Kailash with Sadhguru. The visit gave me a different kind of energy to explore myself. Then in 2021, I had a show in Ahmedabad and got to visit Palitana, near Bhavnagar, one of the oldest and biggest Jain pilgrimages in the world. Here, too, the energy was different. I saw an image of Lord Krishna there that felt like it had some deeper meaning. That year, I began to visit many Jain temples, including Mount Girnar also in Gujarat. But it was the visit to Palitana that motivated me to work on this series. I don’t think anyone has worked on Jain art in great detail, even though the art form has been in existence since the 19th Century. My art is about storytelling and my dreams. This was very well received by the Jain community.