After an earlier mehendi collaboration drew widespread attention online, visual artist Santanu Hazarika has created a new, more expansive full-arm design for sitarist Rishab Rikhiram Sharma, continuing the exploration of body art within live performance.
The previous half-arm piece, shared across social media, was widely appreciated for its distinctive blend of traditional mehendi with Hazarika’s graphic style. The latest work builds on that response, scaling up both in detail and narrative, with motifs extending across the entire arm.
Explaining the details of the design, Santanu in his post wrote, “New Rishab x Santanu. Designed a custom Heena sleeve for the 👑 sitar maestro. Rooted in the language of mehendi and reinterpreted through a contemporary graphic lens, the artwork maps a journey of energy, devotion, and rhythm across the arms. At its core sits Nataraj, symbolizing creation through destruction, much like music itself. Flowing outward are elements drawn from mythology and sound. Like the rakta kamal associated with Ravana’s devotion, the conch, wind patterns representing Pavan Putra, and string-like forms echoing the sitar’s resonance. Along with that there are elements from Lord Shiva’s body itself – the naag, crescent moon and the trident, on the forearm. The composition unfolds like a visual raga, rising, spiraling, and resolving in sync with the emotional arc of the performance. All composed in front of a sonic form of the Kailasha. The entire composition is an ode to Lord Shiva and devotion towards untamed raw energy. Beautifully executed by Sona Mistry.”
Shared by both artists online, the collaboration has once again sparked conversation around how traditional practices like mehendi are being reinterpreted in contemporary cultural contexts, particularly within music and performance.
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