Statuary by Anand Naren
Sacred Garden Gallery
1113 Saiz Rd. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87104
I don’t often review products made by men
in the pages of SageWoman, but in the case
of Anand Naren’s statuary, I just had to make
an exception to my rule.
Anand’s style might be called neo-classical; his
designs are primarily original, but have such a
feeling of antiquity that I could easily imagine
them being made thousands of years ago by artisans
in ancient Crete or Greece. Like ancient Goddess
sculptures, Anand’s pieces are voluptuously sized,
joyfully posed and simply impressive without
being ponderous. Small touches, such as a hole in
the hand area, and several in the hair of “Earth Mother”
for placing flowers, and Anand’s personal connection
with his work (of “Hanging Mermaid” he wrote “She
likes to hang from a tree in the garden or close to
a pool or hot tub – born here in the desert she has a
real “longing” for water!” raises these pieces above
the usual manufactured pieces found at your local
garden supply store.
These pieces are handmade, and, as such, not inexpensive;
but they are truly fine works of art and would be
wonderful additions to anyone’s home or (obviously)
to a Goddess garden. It is also a genuine pleasure to
support an artisan expressing the Goddess as in ancient
times. Anand says on the opening page of his website:
“The way to the altar of the Mother is to walk upon this
blessed Earth with love and reverence, and if along the
pathway there are goddess image to remind us of Her
presence, it is good.” I couldn’t have expressed it better
myself.
-review
by Anne Newkirk Niven