Manik Raj Nakra employs an ornate, imaginative style rooted in antiquity--including classical Indian iconography, such as the densely detailed imagery associated with Mughal painting, and architectural forms from the Roman Empire. His colorful and humorous scenarios depict interactions between humans deities, and animals that draw equally from ancient folklore and contemporary pop culture. In Man Who Fell to Earth, Nakra finds inspiration in the Greek myth of Icarus, whose hubris led him to dismiss warnings that his manmade, wax wings would melt if he flew too close to the sun. The mural’s title also pays homage to the 1976 film “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” in which David Bowie portrays an alien seeking water for his home planet, which is suffering from severe drought. In this panoramic scene, viewers are positioned amongst a group of animals, including a snake, a rat, and, at the center, a leopard, who watch the events transpire from afar. Nakra often uses exotic animals, particularly jungle cats, as stand-ins for the violence and greed of human history, colonial domination, and the exploitation of natural resources. Whether this scene can be read as a commentary on imperialism’s effects on the environment or a hopeful vision of a landscape on the precipice of returning to nature remains up for interpretation.