NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore safely returned to Earth on Tuesday, splashing down off the coast of Florida. Their return marked the end of a 17-hour flight and almost 10 months on the International Space Station, which was originally scheduled as an eight-day mission. But because of unforeseen technical issues, their mission was prolonged to 286 days.
To mark this historic moment, Kundan Kumar Roy, a Samastipur artist, painted a special Mithila painting to commemorate Sunita Williams’ return. The painting has a SpaceJet plane in the form of a fish, representing the astronauts’ incredible journey. It shows four astronauts coming back from space, and the innovative depiction has been highly appreciated on social media.
In an interview with Local18, Kundan Kumar Roy described his motivation: “I have always employed Mithila painting to raise awareness. Sunita Williams has become a source of inspiration for people across the globe. Her nine-month-long space travel, her study, and her successful return to Earth are certainly incredible and worthy of praise. Having seen her struggle and journey, I felt the urge to paint that using Mithila painting.”
It took Kundan one-and-a-half days to finish the painting. He said, “Mithila painting requires minute detailing and patience, which obviously takes time.” Talking about his career as an artist, Kundan said, “I learned this art from my mother, who was a Mithila painting artist too. I learned this art from her and have spent my life in conserving and practicing this lovely tradition.”
