Phases of the Moon in Cheriyal Scroll by Sai Kiran

This striking artwork by Sai Kiran Dhanalakota reimagines traditional Telangana Cheriyal craft as a contemporary, three-dimensional celestial installation depicting the phases of the moon. Mounted against a deep, matte black canvas within a slim gold frame, the composition arranges handcrafted Cheriyal relief masks in a radial orbit around a central lunar disc. Cheriyal Scroll painting is a traditional folk art form from Telangana, which historically served as visual aids for village storytellers (Kaki Padagollu). Painted on long canvas scrolls prepared with a mixture of khadi cloth, rice starch, tamarind seed paste and white mud, these artworks traditionally depict episodes from Indian epics and local folklore using vibrant natural dyes dominated by a signature red background. In this composition, at the exact center of the square black field sits a large, flat circular disc representing the moon. Encased in a smooth, soft yellow border, its grey surface is meticulously detailed with fine white line work depicting lunar craters and radiating impact rays, creating a stylized yet recognizable planetary surface. Surrounding this are eight three-dimensional Cheriyal female face masks positioned in an elliptical ring. They visually map the cycle of the moon from new moon to full moon and back through the interplay of light and shadow. Each face is rendered in the distinctive Cheriyal mask-making style, traditionally sculpted from a mixture of sawdust, tamarind seed paste and starch before being painted. Each face features large, dramatic almond-shaped eyes outlined in bold black, prominent curved eyebrows and vivid crimson lips set in a serene expression. Every figure wears a rich yellow-and-gold beaded headpiece (talasamanu) across the hairline, a decorative gold nose ring (nath), ornate ear studs (toda) and a bold red bindi centered on the forehead. Smooth black hair frames the crown of each head beneath the gilded ornaments. The cycle of light and darkness across the lunar month is cleverly represented by splitting the faces vertically into two distinct tones, a pale, radiant cream (representing lit surface) and a slate grey (representing shadow). The visual progression of the lunar cycle unfolds seamlessly across the surrounding masks, moving from full illumination to complete shadow. Positioned on the middle right, the Full Moon is rendered entirely in a bright, radiant cream with wide-open, luminous eyes that symbolize total illumination. Framing this phase, the Gibbous and Quarter moons, located at the top right, top center, bottom right and bottom center, show light receding or growing in vertical segments. Completing the orbit on the left side (top, middle and bottom), dark grey shadow dominates the Crescent and New Moon phases, where the eyes on the shadowed halves are closed in slumber to represent the hidden, dormant nature of the moon's darkest state. By transitioning Cheriyal art from flat storytelling scrolls into modular 3D relief masks, the artist blends folk heritage with modern conceptual art. The high-contrast color palette, stark black, cool grey, warm cream and flashes of primary gold and crimson, gives the piece an ethereal, mystical presence that bridges traditional Indian mythology and astronomical observation.