There are mosaics and there are mosaics. Then, there are mosaics by Kochi-based artist Laxmi Priya. I chanced on her work on social media, and was transfixed. Delving deeper and browsing through intriguing image after image, I realised I was witnessing something special - a modern-day artist elevating the age-old art of mosaic to entirely new heights with her uniquely contemporary interpretations.
A kaleidoscope of colours in the tiniest of fragments cover every millimetre, giving the impression of a painted piece. That is what makes her creations stand out, besides of course, the sheer beauty and intricacy of her patterns. Unlike the modern mosaics of today which are more abstract in nature, Laxmi finds her muse in flowers, birds, bees and butterflies, depicting each petal, each leaf and each wing in the minutest of details.
With such detailing involved, you wonder how long it takes to make a piece. "That depends on the intricacies required and the size of the project. A large part of the time goes into the designing stage. Once I have completed the design, I can work with the materials much faster," says Laxmi, a self-taught designer.
Mosaic art, she says, happened to her by chance. Mesmerised by its beauty, she dabbled in it for a few months as a hobby while juggling a corporate job, before she quit to pursue it full-time two years ago. "I learned it with a lot (and I mean lots) of trial and error. The first materials I used were my grandmother’s deep blue glassware and a few broken ceramic plates from my home," she recalls.
In the space of these two years, Laxmi has crafted a wide array of mirror frames, coffee table tops and wall art. Besides crafting her own collections, she also undertakes customised orders. Like, for instance, an art piece with a dragonfly theme that was commissioned by the Society of Odonate Studies (dragonflies and damselflies conservation) in Kottayam.
Currently working on a large wall installation for a client, Laxmi says large surfaces are "a complete joy to work with as I get in more space to mosaic on". Portability is not a problem, she says, because the work is done on a mesh which is later transferred to the installation site.
For more information, check out her Instagram and Facebook pages, Little Stone Mosaics.