A girl has to indulge in art one way or another.
Whether it is taking time to put on some gorgeous make-up or booking herself a photoshoot – it is a lovely way to celebrate, show gratefulness and appreciate yourself.
A few years back, I came across Roova LiJuan’s Navarathri Series artwork, where she created nine different avatars of Goddess Durga throughout the nine days of Navarathri.
It was an exquisite artwork of precision, colour and just pure radiance.
Roova, a renowned artist and saree stylist, portrays the Indian culture in such a creative and beautiful way.
A particular avatar caught my attention – Kushmanda. I thought her face resembled mine and an idea was born.
I contacted Roova and said I wanted to bring this artwork to life!
And so this lovely project was born but I had to ensure the final product looked like the original artwork.
Roova couldn’t have recommended a better makeup artist for the job – Kalai Selvi Bala Chandran – a self-employed hair and makeup artist, who specialises in bridal fashion and even does makeup work for actors from India shooting in Malaysia.
As for photography, I always knew Satish Chandramohan whose unparalleled photography skills and focus on portrait beauty made him the best person for this shoot.
Sourcing for clothes and accessories to bring justice to Roova’s artwork was no easy task either but it was a thoroughly enjoyable process especially when I saw the end result.
I am truly grateful for everyone involved in making this project a success.
Roova for giving birth to this version of Kushmanda, Kalai for literally putting colours on this version of Kushmanda – breathing life-force into her, and Satish for his photography skills and being able to capture emotion and authenticity in his creations.
Not forgetting Vicky G – a renowned jewellery maker and dear friend who focuses on ethical, whimsical hand-crafted creations. My mum also provided me with many accessories for this project.
Do you have a creative project that has been looming in your psyche that you want to bring to life? Make some time for it, you’ll feel great once it’s realised as we’re all born to create.
Happy Navarathri.
