Deepak Mer, a Gold Medalist from Banaras Hindu University, began as a billboard painter before building a career in architectural visualization and finally returning to his first love — painting — in his late 40s. His defining body of work, "House of Gods," poses a singular question: are we masters of our own lives, or puppets on strings pulled by a greater power? Rendered in oil and mixed media, his muscular human figures hang suspended amid astrological wheels, mantras, and serpentine motifs, layered onto richly textured, jewel-toned surfaces. Painstakingly detailed and symbolic, his work rewards close, patient looking — each canvas a labyrinth of hidden meaning beneath its surface.