The artist portrays the process of creation in this piece from his ‘early-tantra’ period, based on the philosophy of Shiva-Shakti. Shown at the bottom, in blue, are the waves of creation in perpetuation. This is followed by the red seed (or sperm) thrusting upwards and entering the female womb. The Trishul, representing Shiva here, is shaped like a womb, while Cowrie is used a symbol of female fertility, keeping in line with how the universe was formed as per early tantric text. This piece is a vital link, and one of the most impressive specimen, in Santosh’s varied oeuvre and is based on the concept of male / female union, that forms the core of his work after he got into Kashmiri Shaivism.