“Lasya” is the creation dance performed by the Hindu god Shiva in his depiction as Natraj. The inspiration to meld Indian and Spanish dance came from my sister Behnaz, who is a dancer. She’s been performing Flamenco for many years now and some time ago she had explained to me how it had originated from Indian classical music and dance. I thought a many-armed flamenco dancer in the place of a Natraj would make a good image.
Lasya is one of my few “planned” paintings – the idea hit me when I was trying to come up with an appropriate subject for a rich red background that I had already laid down on canvas. The dancer is modeled after my sister based on a few performances that I’ve witnessed.
