Aleti Sai Ram Pramodhini Reddy and Patel Narsimha Reddy from Hyderabad have embraced a burgeoning wedding trend that’s fast becoming a staple – hiring a live painter to capture their nuptials. Set to exchange vows on April 24th at the Rock Enclave Convention Centre in Ghatkeskar, the couple has opted for an artist’s canvas to hold the memories of their momentous day, instead of relying on traditional photography.
At a glance, one might spot artist Keerthana Adepu, engrossed in her craft, surrounded by hues of resplendent red, yellow, and green, as they adorn her 14×18 canvas board. Her assignment – to depict the couple and the vibrant wedding decor. Amidst the proliferation of digital imagery from selfies to Instagram reels, Keerthana’s art offers a timeless heirloom, embodying not just the visual splendor but the emotional essence of the wedding. With April proving to be a busy wedding season, her skills are in high demand with five weddings on her schedule.
Keerthana, present at the venue, views each stroke of her brush as a gateway to the past for the couple, hoping to invoke cherished memories with every viewing. Starting with an antarpat back in June 2023, she swiftly progressed to live wedding paintings by November. Her journey, prominently displayed on her Instagram handle @art_casm, consists of around 60 antarpats and 13 live wedding paintings, catching the eye of soon-to-be-wed couples across Hyderabad and other cities.
Meanwhile, Srishti Prabakar, a Chennai-based artist with a similar passion for nuptial artistry, observes the enduring significance of narrative art despite the saturation of meticulously taken wedding photographs. She argues that a painting might capture details – sometimes the fleeting, heartfelt moments – that photography might overlook. Venturing into the live wedding painting scene in early 2024, Srishti found herself painting a wedding as a gift, which involved encapsulating multiple events across a four-day celebration.
Srishti, like her contemporaries, often finds herself among the guests, situated discreetly either by the mandap or in front of the screen, her eyes and hands moving in unison to capture moments brimming with emotion. Her medium varies from watercolors, favored for main events, to acrylics for snapshotting specific moments or the overall ambience of the occasion. Regardless of the medium, her paintings represent personal narratives, frozen in time, waiting to be revisited with a smile or a fond recollection.
As this niche of live wedding painting burgeons in Hyderabad, the art community has taken notice. M Sanjay Kumar, attached to Eshwariah Art Gallery, recollects a wedding at the Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre, curated with art due to the families’ love of literature, art, and music. At the event, artist Prasuna Murali captured intricate moments that define the ceremonial mood – from the bride’s entrance in a pelli butta to the exchange of jeelakarra-bellam, and the playful games that ensue post-marriage rituals.
Beyond Hyderabad, the trend is making inroads in smaller cities as well. Dhanushya Pallam, a software engineer turned live wedding painter from Vijayawada, remarks on the enthusiastic local response and insists that geography does not determine the value of her work. Her art has seen her travel to several cities, utilizing acrylics on Lenin canvas to capture wedding moments. Each piece receives a finishing coat of varnish, ensuring the final artwork can be cherished for generations. Dhanushya’s experience highlights a profound joy in art’s power to mark someone’s special day.
Yet the live painting experience comes with its share of hurdles. Srishti notes the challenge of working at the pace of unfolding events and finding a balance between detailed execution and timely completion. Multitasking becomes paramount as the artist navigates curious guests and fleeting moments, all the while maintaining professionalism and warmth.
The investment for a piece of this artistic endeavor varies, with prices starting at ₹20,000 and stretching up to ₹2 lakh, excluding the artist’s travel and accommodation expenses for out-of-town weddings. Increasingly popular as gifts or as a special surprise by the couple for one another, live wedding paintings are a testament to love stories being told in vibrant brushstrokes.
So when you next attend a wedding and reach for your phone to snap a selfie, take a moment to look around; you might just find that the sentiment of the day has already been immortalized in paint.
