‘Ranjha II’

'Ranjha II'  
There is reason for Ranjha, the famous fakir of Punjabi folk tradition, to want to sit in the dark. The petals of the lotus on which he rests are soft, as is the night breeze. When he closes his eyes, Ranjha can allow his imagination to wander as far as he wants. In this interpretation by artist Sabir Nazar, Ranjha can imagine his cows coming home on a starry night. He can imagine the goddess of fertility atop a tortoise, picking fruit from his tree. He can imagine birth, and he can imagine death. But Ranjha must now rise from his comfortable slumber, open his eyes, and turn from the moon to the sun. Ranjha is an artist, a creative inventor, one invested with society's potential for beauty, brilliance, imagination and change. The world cannot remain in darkness forever. Ranjha's flute must now herald the morning light. This is part of a regular series of Himal's editorial commentary on artwork by Sabir Nazar. Watercolour, 18" x 24"