Abstract Stepwell

Abstract Stepwell (2025) is a visual descent — a painting that reimagines ancient Indian architecture through the lens of geometric abstraction. This 48 x 48 inch mixed media painting on wood belongs to the Pop Art Collection, where cultural motifs are transformed into bold, contemporary gestures.

The composition is built in layers: interlocking stair-like forms cascade downward in vibrant ochre, turquoise, and charcoal gray. Negative space forms shadowy pools, while precise black outlines suggest both depth and collapse. It’s a structure that seems to go nowhere and everywhere at once — both ruin and rhythm.

I created Abstract Stepwell after studying photographs of Chand Baori and other historic stepwells. These spaces were engineered for utility but possess profound symmetry and mystery. This painting is not a replica. It’s a memory. A dream of stairs you can’t quite climb.

The work shares affinity with the structural abstraction of Frank Stella, especially his architectural series where form is both visual and sculptural. Like Stella, I wanted to flatten and expand space at once — turning depth into pattern.

Abstract Stepwell invites both ascent and descent — a movement that feels symbolic. Down into thought. Down into memory. Then back up into color.

As part of the Pop Art Collection, this painting is both homage and remix — reframing traditional form in a language of playful geometry and visual recursion.