Welcome to Lunar Leela The Divine Play of Moonlight and Shadows
My photographs attempts to capture the quiet drama between Moon’s distant glow and Earth’s fleeting, organic silhouettes
About Dhaval Jhaveri
My Artistic Journey
Born in Ahmedabad, India, and now living with my family in Old Bethpage, New York, I have long been captivated by the moon; a luminous constant in the night sky, quietly guiding my artistic path.
The seed of Lunar Leela was planted during a childhood road trip through Rajasthan. Somewhere near Jaisalmer, a full moon rose over the desert; vast, surreal, glowing in hues of pink and orange. Though I didn’t have a camera then, the image etched itself into my memory and sparked a lifelong fascination with the celestial.
In Indian tradition, the full moon is celebrated on nights like Sharad Poonam; holds deep spiritual meaning. As I grew older, this reverence for the moon stayed with me, evolving from cultural ritual into artistic ritual. Years later, as I began photographing full moons, a chance encounter; a woody spring entering the frame, shifted my perspective. I embraced the imperfection, and in doing so, discovered a new visual language: one that spoke of the relationship between the moon’s distant glow and Earth’s fleeting, organic silhouettes.
Lunar Leela is a body of work that explores this dialogue between light and form, between what is above and what is rooted in the here and now. Through carefully composed silhouettes of branches, trees, leaves, buds and vines, I seek to reveal the quiet drama of moonlight interacting with nature. Each image is a meditation on presence and impermanence, capturing the way a single moment—seen from just one angle—can feel both infinite and intimate.
This practice has become more than a creative endeavor; it is a contemplative ritual. I walk or drive for hours, chasing moonrise, weather permitting. I have stood in bitter cold and waited in still silence, all for that fleeting alignment of light and shadow. The unpredictability of each full moon makes every captured frame a treasure.
Above all, this work is about legacy. I share the ritual of moon gazing with my children, passing down not only a tradition but a way of seeing. I imagine that even long after I am gone, my presence might linger; remembered in the quiet act of looking up at the full moon.
Lunar Leela is a celebration of the divine play between the eternal and the ephemeral, the cosmic and the earthly. It is an invitation to pause, to look up, and to rediscover wonder in the skies above.
Exploring The Divine Play of Moonlight and Shadows
The unpredictability makes every captured frame a treasure
Only 12 Full Moon viewings in year!
Through carefully composed silhouettes of branches, trees, leaves, buds and vines, I seek to reveal the quiet drama of moonlight interacting with nature. It is an invitation to pause, to look up, and to rediscover wonder in the skies above.