COMMISSION CASE STUDY: FOUR RECENT PAINTINGS

After going through a difficult time during Covid, this client sought a commission by artist Seema Kohli with the painting’s theme centered “on rebirth, like a Phoenix rising from the ashes,” as she felt she emerged from this challenging experience stronger. Inspired by the client’s story, Seema chose to depict Gajalakshmi, who emerged from the churning of the oceans of milk. Lakshmi, holding the Saptrashmi (the rainbow), represents hope and bestows the power to ascend to higher levels of consciousness. After the painting was finished, we also added a thick gold frame to highlight the rich color palette.

Having already decided on artist Anuradha Thakur, the clients were most drawn to scenes with women dancing in a circle, in the Garba style. As the clients had a bookcase painted in the color “Seaworthy,” artist Anuradha introduced this specific hue into the painting to connect to the existing decor of the home, along with a saturated “rani” pink to offset it. The clients loved the painting and said that it enlivened the home.

The client approached Laasya Art specifically with Nilofer Suleman in mind, as she adored the artist’s old world charm and sepia tones. We eventually settled on a series of three paintings, each with a different concept. The first painting would be a scene at a photography studio, the second at a tailor, and the third at Bade Miyan, a popular street food joint in Mumbai, which Nilofer suggested and happened to be the client’s favorite restaurant in her hometown. In addition to “old world” elements such as hanging lanterns and miniature-style patterns, Nilofer also incorporated text in English and Urdu.

The client envisioned a bold painting that would make an impression on the living room’s 25 foot high walls. He also wanted the painting to feature elements of Bengali culture, a perfect fit for artist Jagannath Paul who also grew up in West Bengal. We ultimately decided to go with a single pair of faces for its high visual impact as well as to best highlight the details in the background, such as key landmarks in Kolkata and legendary figures like Rabindranath Tagore and Subhash Chandra Bose. The final painting measured 9 x 9 feet, comprising 4 canvases each measuring 4.5 x 4.5 feet.