17 March,2024 07:37 AM IST | Mumbai | Christalle Fernandes
Mitali Salunke and Chetan Advirkar, who studied at JJ School of Art, have painted over 1,000 couple portraits. Pic/Nimesh Dave
The first thing the eye sees on entering the Live Indian Painter studio in Dadar East is a panorama of wedding paintings, with happy couples smiling, twirling, and dancing. The 24x36 inch frames feature snapshots of ritual - at the mandap, surrounded by blooming flowers, or with the happy faces of friends and family. "Capturing a wedding scene live is a different experience, both for the couple and their guests. It creates an interactive atmosphere," says Mitali Salunke, one-half of the artist couple behind the studio.
The Sir JJ School of Art alumni have since 2018 painted over a thousand works, for weddings across countries. But the demand, they say, began picking up after the COVID-19, induced lockdown. "Couples and families wished to celebrate with pomp and go all out," says Chetan Advirkar, who began his career with caricatures and wedding invites.
Live wedding paintings, originally a trend in the West, is now common at Indian shaadis, thinks Keerthana Adepu, a Hyderabad-based artist. She thinks that the demand signifies a shift in the knowledge of art, especially at a time when digital paintings are big. "I'm glad that people are appreciating the value of handmade art."
The first time Goa-based artist Smriti Goswami painted a live wedding work was at a friend's Goan wedding. The setting was a picturesque garden; the guests streamed in and out, while the artist painted the moment when the newly-married couple exited the church. "It took about five hours," the self-taught artist recalls. "The painting wasn't completed, because it was my first time. I took three more days to add the finishing details."
Each wedding is a learning experience for the artists. For one, there is the pressure of guests looking over their shoulder. Sometimes, weather plays truant. "We've painted weddings in Jaipur in freezing temperatures - our hands were shaking so much we could hardly hold the brush," Advirkar recalls.
Cost is also a consideration. Live wedding painting is something of a luxury, and to have an artist adds to status. Goswami's rates start at Rs 20,000 for a canvas of 12x18 inches, while Adepu prices hers between Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 (16x20 inch). Salunke and Advirkar charge anywhere between Rs 60,000 and Rs 1,000,000 for their paintings. "Whether you choose a small frame or a larger one, the details are just as intricate," Advirkar explains. "It's more difficult doing the compact works, especially when capturing human features and emotions.
Sanjana Bhosale, a Bengaluru-based muralist who painted her first wedding painting earlier this year, says that the price point is often the issue. She conducted negotiations with a client for a week before settling on a price. "A live painting is a luxury, and often, the cost doesn't sit right with couples." At this point, it's still a question of affordability and not trendiness, she feels.
Goswami, who is known by the name Art by Simmo on social media, says that capturing the intricacies of an Indian wedding is challenging. "There is much movement and activity. The scene is vibrant and brimming with colours," she notes. And then there's the time restriction. While a regular painting could take the artist days to complete, sometimes even weeks, here, it's a matter of hours. "One Goan Hindu bride told me she wanted me to capture the moment when her husband lines her hairline with sindoor. It's one of the final steps in the wedding ritual. I couldn't for it to unfold to start to paint; I had to gauge how they'd look in that moment while watching them during the early part of the ceremony, and then improvise." Goswami used her imagination and painted the scene, and added a surprise element - a pandit.
Scouting for the right location to park your easel and soaking in the atmosphere is a big part of the process. While Goswami prefers to meet the couple a day or two prior to get a sense of the colour themes, Salunke and Advirkar request the couple to share their profile pictures. They take four to five hours to complete a painting and hand it over to the couple at the end of the day - this is possible only if the background is out of the way before the ceremony even begins.
In the end, however, the reactions of the couple make it all worth it. For Salunke and Advirkar, couples have hugged them after seeing the final take. Adepu says that half the joy is the awe the guests and kids, especially, display when seeing the artwork painted live. "It's all about creating a beautiful memory for the couple."
