LONDON, U. K., February 26, 2002: Celebrity couple and Manchester United football (“soccer” to the Americans) star David Beckham and his wife Victoria, have been depicted as gods for a major exhibition of Indian-influenced art. Beckham is shown sitting four-armed on a throne in a crown and robes as the Hindu Deity Siva and on his lap is his scantily-clothed wife, Victoria, as the Goddess Parvati, while their son Brooklyn becomes a trunk-less elephant God Ganesh. The artwork, by sisters Amrit and Rabindra Singh, is described by them as a “light-hearted” view of fame and will be displayed in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games which start in Manchester in June. The Singhs said their painting is a blend of traditional 17th century Eastern art and modern concepts of sport and pop. Once the exhibition has been shown in Manchester it will visit India and Canada after the games. The 36-year-old Singh sisters, both Sikh, say it’s not their intention to insult Hindus. “I think it would only have been viewed as blasphemous if we were saying they were gods to be adored,” said Amrit. “We are using the language of religion but it doesn’t mean we are saying they are gods in a spiritual sense but in a material sense. They are figures people follow just like gods in the Hindu religion. “We take it as a positive image. They are role models. They are depicted as the ideal family within celebrity circles. It’s the re-interpretation of that in terms of modern-day celebrity.”
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