Portal To Heaven - Paper Sculpture

​

PORTAL TO HEAVEN paper sculpture draws its soul from the exquisitely carved domes of ancient Indian temples, architectural marvels whose elegance and craftsmanship remain unmatched in the modern world. These sacred ceilings were adorned with celestial beings, apsaras, and dancers frozen in eternal motion, their every gesture immortalized in stone. They played invisible melodies, swayed in rhythmic poise, and transformed the very space beneath them into a realm of wonder. Standing under such domes felt like stepping into a poem written not in words, but in stone.

PORTAL TO HEAVEN is my homage to these heavenly sanctuaries. Every element of this sculpture seeks to echo the visual poetry of those ancient masterpieces. The tiny floral motifs seen in the sculpture are each delicately crafted and built from nearly 20 layers of paper to mimic the intricate blossoms that still adorn the temple ceilings. The dancing angels(apsaras) gracing the dome are in turn sculpted with over 30 individual layers, giving them a depth reminiscent of hand-carved stone.

In total, the artwork comprises over 450 layers, assembled and refined over 2000 hours of meditative craftsmanship. Each layer was cut, shaped and placed with the intention of capturing not just the architecture, but the emotion those domes evoke — the sense of stepping beyond the physical world into something sacred and eternal.

At 27 × 27 inches, PORTAL TO HEAVEN is more than a sculpture; it is an attempt to recreate a forgotten dimension, a doorway into the celestial beauty that ancient artisans sculpted into ancient temples. It stands as a tribute to their genius, and as an invitation for viewers to rediscover the dreamlike stillness and the divine presence.

(Click on the images below to enlarge)