Stories do not end when two people part. They continue into the silence afterward.
My latest sculpture is inspired by Ulupi, a Naga (serpent) princess from the Indian epic Mahabharata. She is known for saving the legendary hero Arjuna’s life using the Sanjivani Mani, a mystical jewel said to restore life.
This sculpture depicts a moment that is barely described. As Arjuna and his brothers leave the mortal world for the Himalayas, Ulupi too, must return to her world beneath the waves. In the original translation of the Mahabharata by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, Ulupi’s departure is described in just one simple line, only the fact that she returns to the waters.
In this piece, I chose to linger within that unwritten space, imagining the moment just before her return… a moment where she turns, perhaps just once, toward the sunlit world she once shared with the man she loved.
I spent a lot of time refining the materials in Maya to capture the delicate, translucent quality of fine ceramics, which I felt best expressed her quiet nobility. Her body draws inspiration from white porcelain and celadon, while her face is treated with a softer, bisque-like finish.
The jewels, the Naga Mani on her forehead and the Sanjivani Mani at her necklace, were originally envisioned as milky-opalescent gemstones with prismatic light. But in the end, I shifted their material toward jade or emerald-like qualities. This remains one small point I hope to revisit in the future.
In sculpting Ulupi, I wanted to capture more than a mythological figure. She belongs to water, a familiar otherworld. I wanted to portray the inner stillness of someone who has loved deeply… and chooses to let go with dignity.
Sculpted in ZBrush, rendered in Maya.
I hope this piece resonates with you as much as her story has with me.
Thank you for taking the time to view this work.
