From plate to palette 

Waffle doors and a broccoli Bodhi tree? Subhashini Chandramani's kitchen exploits never get stale
Bakshanam
Bakshanam

Food they say, is art. And that is exactly what Subhashini Chandramani who runs Neelavanam does with her food - she transforms them into actual art. Murukkus can be seen wearing Rajasthani pagdis, cherry tomatoes lineup into a caterpillar and waffles become pretty doors - all of which make for not just Instagram worthy posts, but actual masterpieces crafted out of food. These are then photographed and turned into prints. 

Subhashini started experimenting with mixed media in 2015 while randomly sketching a nose of a woman. She realised that she wanted to draw a nosering there. "It occurred to me that if I put a real flower there, that would make for a great looking portrait. That's how I started juxtaposing food with art as well," says the artist. The work that Subhashini does is unique and different. She describes her art as being something that is spontaneous and in the spur-of-the-moment. "I don't sit and think for hours before creating something. And if I envision an image, then I try and reproduce that on paper." To preserve the essence of the work, the multi-dimension element, colour and quality, they are printed on high-quality, fine art paper called Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Paper. To ensure that they stay without degradation for decades, Archival ink is also used for printing. The print is then mounted, covered with an acrylic sheet, box framed and is ready to be shipped. 

Subhashini says that she doesn't plan or strategise before creating an artwork. "I would describe it as an 'aha' moment!" says Subhashini. "It just strikes you. And it's all about perspective. The cherry tomatoes that I used for the caterpillar artwork were really small. It's only when I placed it on the table that I saw there was some scope for art there." Subhashini also points out that not everything you visualise can work out. She recalls a time when she saw an onion and it looked like a beaver's face to her. But presenting it was a challenge. "How do I make other people see that I can see the beaver? So it's not always that easy."

Subhashini says that she puts a lot of effort into capturing them and preserving them so they can be gifted. "Food can get stale pretty fast so it's difficult to preserve it. So I take a photo of it and get that printed. In a way I guess, the metaphor for my artwork is life. We can't preserve it, but the memory can be framed."

Prints available from Rs 1500 at neelavanam.in 

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