The journey of a thousand miles starts from a single step, which is the most difficult of all…a tabula Rasa of the mind, is essential to start afresh. When Achilles came to clear his mind and seek permission of his mother to go to Troy, she said, “If you stay back you shall marry, have children, become a grandfather and your name shall last a hundred years. If you go to Troy, you shall never return but your name shall last a thousand years!”
From the series titled, “Tabula Rasa…for a new beginning”!
Tabula Rasa in Latin means a clear slate, and originates from the Roman tabula or wax tablet used for notes, which was blanked by heating the wax and then smoothening it, to give a tabula rasa. In Psychology, it relates to the theory that at birth the (human) mind is a “blank slate” without rules for processing data, and that data is added and rules for processing are formed solely by one’s sensory experiences. And so in order to reach for his goals and desires, despite the setbacks that one has faced, one needs to clear his mind to reach a tabula rasa and start afresh. In this series, the artist has exhibited pictures those describe the meaning of ‘Tabula Rasa’, ‘before it is reached’ and ‘after it is reached’ in the human mind.
Shivani Pandey 