Magical mandalas by Sheetal Nandlal

Sheetal Nandlal is a young lady who listens to her heart and lets her creativity roam freely. She follows her imagination despite all the hurdles. With her creativity and imagination, she started a journey with Mandala. She makes us discover the art of Mandala. Sheetal Nandlal, who works as a ground-hostess, hides a creative mind. Despite her art teachers not supporting her, she never gave up on her creativity and developed her artistic talents on her own. Her passion was kept alive by creating small things for herself. However, her perception and destiny took a turn last year during a trip to India. In January 2015, she planned to spend two weeks exploring the vast country. In search of a spiritual retreat, Sheetal Nandlal went to Vrindavan, the region linked to the worship of the Hindu deity Krishna. She was fascinated by the wall paintings and colours. “The colours and geometry component of mandalas have amazed me. I was introduced to the painting technique used for mandalas as a teenager. But I was not very interested. It was love at first sight in Vrindavan. I was mesmerised by the beauty of this spiritual art. I could feel the positive energy,” she recalls. Once in Mauritius, she was still enchanted by those paintings and the young lady let go of her artistic side. She started painting mandalas with her personal touch. “Every individual has a specific way of doing things. So, I started creating mandalas with my choice of colours, crystals, stones and fabrics. Being the daughter of a stylist, I know how to play with fabrics and accessories.” Glimpse of Mandalas Sheetal explains that the word “mandala” originated from the Sanskrit language which means circle. “The mandala is used in Hinduism. Holy Scriptures and geometric circles are painted upon. Symbols of spirituality, mandalas are sacred representations of the universe and the cosmos. In Buddhism, mandalas are used for meditation sessions. They emanate positive energy,” she reveals. As dream catchers are in fashion today, Sheetal gave an artistic dimension to the mandala, adorning it with dream catchers. It is a unique form of art she brought to Mauritius. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"13733","attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-22811","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"350","height":"335","alt":"sheetal-6"}}]] Exposition At the age of 16, Sheetal had her first art exhibition on abstract art. As she grew up, she started to create other interesting things. In February this year, she hosted an exhibition at the Trianon Shopping Park. Through this exhibition, she intended to introduce this art to young people. Moreover, in December 2015, she was invited to exhibit her work at the Bombay Night. “The guests were captivated by my mandalas. It was extraordinary to play with the lights and my mandalas. They congratulated me.” In one year, she produced two collections: ‘Spiritual Awakening’ and ‘Uplifting Life’. A sports lover The young artist is also a sports person. For eight years now, she has been pratising ‘taekwondo’. Every morning, she takes a walk in natural surroundings, which she refers to as “Power Walk”, allowing her to in be in harmony with her spiritual side. Besides, she likes to take care of animals but her time is limited. “I share a great bond with Mother Nature. Due to lack of time, I cannot dedicate enough time to all my passions. As I work on a shift basis, I try to make time for my passions. I am lucky to get the support of my mother,” she adds. Future projects Sheetal wants to launch workshops on Mandalas. She wants to initiate youngsters to this art. “I want to create a platform for anyone who wants to express himself. It will be a way to promote arts.” She also wants to make an exhibition in nature. Quick Bio

• Favourite Colour: Purple, military green
• Favourite Destination: India
• Favourite Painter: Jackson Pollock
• Favourite Food: Chinese food
• Something I hate: People who discourage others
• Something I like: My family
• My dream: To be someone
• Favourite Child Memory: Walk in the Nature with my parents
• Sheetal in one word: Pure