Let’s go over some of the interpretations of the signs and traits of those born under it to see the interesting mind game that the artist plays. Munshi starts with the Ram, the happy Aries who wish to assert their identity by saying ‘I Exist!’ and what we have is fine painting a tribute to the great Impressionist, Vincent Van Gogh. The caption to this painting and others have been written in the poetic idiom of a wise one, be it Linda Goodman, Bejan Daruwala or Veer Munshi, holding forth on what is or will be. The caption to Aries sun sign going over the impulsive and challenging nature of Aries who are ever pining for love says, "A Van Gogh turns a yellow spot into a sun coldly burning and becomes immortal." The painting shows the famous self-portrait of Van Gogh and the artist posing before it with his head sprouting the famous sun flowers and a pistol, the one with which the artist was to shoot himself, lying on a chair to be found in the Van Gogh paintings.

The image of the Ram is pasted like a postage stamp on forehead of the self-portrait. A compelling work indeed!

What is very interesting is that the works of famous artists, perhaps those who always fascinated Munshi, and their lives are interwoven in these paintings. We have Salvador Dali as the thrusting bull for Taurus, leading as though the rogue gallery of others born under this sign. Other artists who figure in these series are Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso, M.F. Husain, Bhupen Khakhar and Munshi himself.

Born at Srinagar, Kashmir and schooled in art at the M.S. University, Baroda, Munshi has been sensitive to the politics of violence and displacement. His installations and art works exhibited in group shows have shown him commenting strongly on the politics of the time. The artist says of these works, "Many of them have been like slogans made for shows specially designed to protest against events." However, in these works it is the emergence of metaphor that encases his philosophy. These paintings work at many levels — enjoy the visual delight of iconography if you will; lose yourself in the mystery of the sun signs or look beyond and see what the artist says between the strokes as it were.

Very interesting indeed is the depiction of the Aquarius mystery. Aquarius is the sign of the New Age — the evolving sign that feels it must return to life what it has gathered from it down the centuries. Thus the painting has images of the Charles Darwin Theory of Evolution along with a pitcher of the Good Earth for the Aquarian is the water-bearer. What is returned to the Earth is, however, violence in the image of a terrorist. It is here that the artist is brilliant in envisaging, what could be and what is. Politicians too figure in these series most interestingly.

To represent the Capriconian we have none other than Atal Bihari Vajpayee with the head replaced by the lotus flower and the many arms holding symbols of different faiths but the trident somewhat more prominent than the others. The Leo prowess is featured by Bill Clinton and Mandela for talking of Cancer, the artist says: ‘A Mandela is always on the round somewhere...’

Munshi made these twelve large and complex canvases over a period of two to three years. However, the research and study took up a much longer time. "I read so much about the Zodiac philosophy. Not just that in delineating personality types. I started reading about Van Gogh. Then I read his letters to his brother Theo. So I gathered a lot of knowledge in the process." It is the artist’s accomplishment that nowhere does he brother the viewer with all the acquired knowledge but invites him to embark on this fascinating journey using symbols in economy. The result is aesthetically very pleasing.

A challenge, indeed, but then what would art be if there were no challenges ahead?