This artwork is part of the "Varnamala" series by Nikheel Aphale, who considers the Devanagari script to be his muse. Varnamala means "alphabet". Devanagari is an ancient Indian script in which Sanskrit, Hindi, Nepali, Marathi and some other languages are written. Nikheel draws parallels between the constitution of letters and human beings, through the lens of diversity, co-existence and togetherness. His artworks, inspired by and rooted in the beautiful Devanagari script, celebrate the ideals of unity, diversity, humanity and oneness, using letters as a metaphor. For instance, the Devanagari script allows one to write exactly how a word is spoken, reflecting honesty and purity of expression - values much appreciated in human beings.
Taalmel means synergy. There are no upper case and lower case letters in the Devanagari script. All letters are at the same level - no hierarchy, no discrimination in terms of position. This balanced relationship the letters have with each other, one without bias, is quite remarkable, and compels us to reflect on the fabric of human society, and how we too, should strive towards achieving this synergy.
