India, Aug. 6 -- Anyone who visits the Design Department of the Kala Bhavana art school at Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan will be familiar with the striking black-and-white mural that adorns it. A tapestry of interwoven figures, animals, birds and organic forms, it has no beginning or end. Human figures merge into animals, decorative motifs transform into living forms, and empty spaces become meaningful. There is no prescribed path, storyline or subversive messaging to follow. Instead, the eye wanders freely, discovering new connections with every glance.

I had the privilege of watching this artwork come to life while living on the campus in 2010. By then, K G Subramanyan - Mani Da to everyone around him - was already in his ei...