One such work is Tristesse Et Joie Avec Renoir (The sorrow and joy with Renoir) which was inspired by Kowshik's visit to this great Impressionistic master's cemetery and studio in France. Some of Kowshik's works also act as a looking glass through time because they have been inspired by classical Roman works.

"You can call them contemporary interpretation of these works. Only the vocabulary of expression has changed," says this Delhi-based artist.

Forty now, Kowshik has worked on historical stained glass restoration projects in France and conducted workshops on contemporary glass work in Italy. And all the smaller works in this show were done during his visit to Francewhere he was invited by the Government for the restoration of a 12th century church in Troyes.

For Kowshik, the appeal of his medium also lies in the fact that paintings take on a new character with each hour. "The most mesmerising thing about it is that the colours look different when seen at different times of the day. And consequently, the feelings that it evokes also changes," he says.

But while time may make its presence felt in his paintings, Kowshik says it is not possible to slot his work in the contemporary or past category because he draws from an internal self which is "linked with the totality of the future, the past and the present".

This is precisely what Arousal (Spiritual), a green and yellow image, is -- the actual self, complete in itself which doesn't have a past, a future or present.

At Taj Art Gallery, Taj Mahal Hotel. Till Jan 4, 1999. Time: 10.00 am to 7.00 pm.