Though a popular medium to create artworks these days, resin is a bit tricky to work with because of the uncertainty regarding the finished product and time constraints. However, it was the possibility of creating unique items and the availability of a canvas wherein the options to play with colours are plenty, that attracted Malappuram native Aiswarya K. to try out resin art.
As an artist who has been painting since her childhood, Aiswarya was intrigued by the process that was involved in making painting using resin. Her exhibition of 3D resin art, My Shadow in Sand, is going on at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery in Kochi.
Elaborating on her love for resin work and how the enthusiasm has ended up in an exhibition, Aiswarya says, “I have been painting ever since my childhood and have always tried and experimented with various mediums. It was after completing my graduation that I came to know about resin art. As I was on a break from studies, I had ample time to research about the topic. I watched multiple tutorials uploaded on YouTube by different artists who are into resin art. I also became the member of various groups on social media formed by resin artists from different parts of the world. These groups served as the platform for displaying the works of the members. The group members also indulged in discussions regarding the medium. I was able to overcome my initial inhibition through these discussions. Now, I wanted to give it a try and I therefore started off with making ceramic resin art.”
Aiswarya further adds that it was her teacher Shaji Kesav who encouraged her to do resin art as he clearly knows that it is one of the unexplored mediums. “He was the one who persuaded me to organise an exhibition as well,” she says.
Asked about the possibility of resin art and the process involved in it, Aiswarya says that different types of paints react differently to the resin mixture, which is one of the reasons why people are not keen on using it as a medium. “Moreover, resin starts to set in just about 30 minutes and therefore, the artist needs to work precisely and diligently. I use acrylic colours to paint as they do not react with resin.
“Most of my works are either on ceramic surfaces or those with MDF coating. Each layer of resin is poured and painted accordingly. In order to give it 3D feel, multiple layers are formed and each layer is painted with the desired pattern. Painting on surfaces with MDF coating is a bit difficult as it requires heat controlling to make acrylic colours flow on the surface,” she elaborates, adding that one of the reasons why not many artists do resin art is because the ultra clear resin used for art purposes is very expensive as compared to commercial resin.”
Aiswarya is happy that the people who come to visit her exhibition are appreciating her work. However, probably due to little knowledge of the medium and high cost, people are hesitating to buy the pieces, she says. “The ultra clear resin that I use is quite expensive and difficult to source. Therefore, I can only make more artworks if I am able to sell the existing pieces and get some funds to source the raw materials,” she concludes.
The exhibition that was inaugurated by artist T.R.Udayakumar will end on the Sunday.
