Exhibition: Nazar

Anjali Purkayastha states that growing up in India, the evil eye was an unspoken part of her life. The little black dot put instinctively by mothers on their new-born’s face or the mask hanging outside new homes - all done to protect from “buri nazar” (evil eye) or bad luck.

Her series of work is inspired by the concept of ‘Nazar’ and explores the visual symbolisms without reflecting or questioning the belief. Interestingly, many cultures across the world, believe in the concept of warding off evil with distinct symbolisms and rituals.

The work explores the black dot and eyes as the central theme and nods to the other cultures with references throughout. Anjali is a self-taught artist & illustrator, based in London.

Her illustrations are inspired by her love for patterns and her style and colour palette is influenced by her Asian roots. Anjali’s work has been exhibited in India, Singapore, Korea, Thailand, and the UK and is held internationally by private collectors.