“The language of art is a language beyond description that even many intellectuals don’t understand.”
Dr. Narendra Kumar Jain was born in Delhi (India) in 1937. He is a yogi and painter with a PhD in art history. Since 1967 he has lived in Berlin and India. The 2009 version of his painting in the East Side Gallery “Die sieben Stufen der Erleuchtung” (The seven stages of enlightenment) blends Indian mythology and teaching with Western religions and philosophy.
Narendra Kumar Jain in the interview
The painting “Die sieben Stufen der Erleuchtung” (The seven stages of enlightenment) shows a red Buddha figure in a meditative pose in whose centre the seven energy centres (chakras) can be seen. According to Hindu belief, yoga enables the practitioner to complete the stages of enlightenment towards a better existence, free of suffering. As well as the teachings of the Jaina master Mahariva, Jain’s Wall painting also refers to the beliefs of other religions. The artist intended the painting as a contribution to international understanding and cultural exchange.
Jain became a lecturer at the university in Agra in 1963. In 1967 he spent a one-year study period at the Hochschule der Künste in West Berlin and later returned from India to complete his PhD in art history. Jain was also active during this period as an artist, collaborating in 1974 with Ben Wagin on the well-known “Weltbaum” mural in Berlin. In 1990 he painted his work in the East Side Gallery. Jain is now a painter and yoga teacher. He divides his time between India and Berlin, where he runs a gallery.
