Friday, March 30, 2018
Wedding Series: Mappilai and Ponnu


For the Hindu Malaysian Indians, the wedding couple are called Mappilai (groom) and Ponnu (bride) in Tamil. 

The bride is wearing a silk yellow saree that features mandala patterns on the blouse and saree. Couples must wear auspicious colours. While red is usually the preferred colour, it is not a must. Yellow often comes a close second favourite amongst the elders as it is considered an auspicious colour. 

The bride is wearing a patakam jewellery and bagles. Generally, they also wear extensive head decorations but It’s been painted under my reimagined human series and hence there’s no head ornaments or hair. 

The groom is wearing a Jippa/ Kurta that usually matches a colour on the bride’s saree. The kurta usually features embroidery. He would also be wearing a Veshti/ dhoti on the bottom half. 


 Size : 20x28
Art by Visithra on March 30, 2018
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Wedding series: Xing Niang, Xing Liang


The Chinese couple are called Xing Niang (bride) and Xing Liang (groom) which means new bride and groom. 

The Chinese are quite particular about colours and superstition. Hence only the auspicious red colour is used for weddings as it represents the ancient worship of fire which can ward of evil spirits. It also represents happiness and good luck.

The Bride is wearing a cheongsam or qipao with dragon motifs. The dragon on her represents power, strength and good luck in chinese symbolism.  

He is wearing a #samfu which features the shou symbol which represents longevity and is one of the five blessings in Chinese belief. 

Size : 20x28

Art by Visithra on March 30, 2018
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Wedding series: Pengantin


This is a series on Malaysian couples in their wedding attire. The painting of the Malay couple, features certain aspects of the Malay wedding culture. It’s been painted under my reimagined human series. 

They usually wear the same colours and materials. In this case both are wearing the Malay silk songket embroidery. Songket embroidery usually features geometric patterns. 

The guy is wearing a baju silang, a type of baju melayu only seen during weddings nowadays. She is wearing a kebaya songket. 

She is also wearing the kerongsang jewellery often worn with the kebaya. The guy is wearing the wedding chain as well. The pattern of the jewellery was the most common worn by the men. 

Another thing I've captured is the kiss to the forehead embrace that is often the first public show of intimacy by married Malay couples. 


Size : 20x28

Art by Visithra on March 30, 2018
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Tiger



So what do you see?

Can you see the tiger? Or do you see an owl? Try first and then Google a tiger image and look again :) 

See if you can find the two hidden owls. 

 Size : 24x18 

Art by Visithra on March 30, 2018
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Hold me close

Size : 40x28
 #indianart #love #couplelove  #
Art by Visithra on March 30, 2018
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Shiva Shakti the eternal dance



To me shiva and parvathi are the eternal lovers. He did burn down a city to avenge her, that is how deep his love for her is. 

So I wanted to show them in an embrace dancing, as his utracha Mala and her jewellery dances in tune to them. 

Also if you're upset about how close they are, let me point out to you that before the British took over India, the sculptures of our temples were similar and actually there are many sculptures at temples depicting conjugal union of Shiva and parvathi. 

Here their lips are touching but it is not a kiss yet. It is a pose that is seen usually when the dancers are a couple. The intimacy of eternal love. 


 Size : 30x30 

#vissyarts #acrylicpainting #acrylicart #painting #painters #indianart #malaysianart #artmalaysia 
 #indianart #shiva #shakti 
Art by Visithra on March 30, 2018
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Dancing Malaysia


Dancing Malaysia is a colourful representation of Malaysians under my reimagined human series. Each dancer is featured in their traditional clothes with hand gestures of their dance style. 

 The Chinese lady is wearing a Cheongsam with the dragon design, while the Indian lady is in a saree filled with embroidery. 

 The Malay lady is wearing a kebaya and batik sarong. 

 I’ve painted the Iban costume to represent Sarawak and the Kadazan Dusun costume to represent Sabah. To me Malaysia is symbolised by its people and this is how I see my country. 

 Why are they blue and green? 

 Well I've already reimagined them, so they don't need to have skin tone colours. 

Size : 27 x 39

by Visithra Manikam


#vissyarts #acrylicpainting #acrylicart #painting #painters #indianart #malaysianart #artmalaysia 
#batik #indianwomen #darkskin #unfairandlovely #darkskinwomen 
Art by Visithra on March 30, 2018
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Earth Goddess


Question - is she entwined in vines or chained in the vines of nature? What is your perspective? 

 The women in my art are mostly dark skinned and usually with curly hair. There are very few #darkskin art out there for dark skinned South Indian people like me to relate to and so that's why my people and goddesses are all dark skinned. #unfairandlovely 

 The flower motifs are done in the #batikstyle. And required thousands of dots since this is a large piece with a 1.22m height. Don't ask me how many dots, but each leaf took about 12 dots so imagine that.
At one point I was cursing myself for deciding to do batik motifs but it really added to the painting. 

 I wanted to portray another less painted body shape as well - the #plussizewomen. And that is how she was born. 

 This art drew a lot of attention from people while it was exhibitted in Publika. People could relate to her and found her calming. For she is at peace with her self, she is one with herself and nothings going to stop her parade.

So like her, I hope you find the ability to love yourself and be the confident, beautiful women you all are. 

 #plussizewomenart 

 Size : 1.22m x 0.91m

 by Visithra Manikam
#vissyarts #acrylicpainting #acrylicart #painting #painters #indianart #malaysianart #artmalaysia 
#doodles #mandala #kolam #rangoli #indianart #batik #indianwomen #darkskin #unfairandlovely #darkskinwomen 
Art by Visithra on March 30, 2018
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Mahisasura Mardini

And She is Mahisasura Mardini,  the vanquisher of mahisasuran
I've done her in the style of the devi that resides in Kolkata -  where #durgapuja Is most famous at.  #kolkatadurgapuja 

Navarathri has always been my most important festival. So I'm quite happy this came out so well.
Ps: If you look carefully, the bottom looks like a buffalo and an owl :) 
Size : 24x30
By Visithra Manikam 


#vissyarts #acrylicpainting #acrylicart #painting #painters #indianar #malaysianart #artmalaysia 
#doodles #mandala #kolam #rangoli #indianart #indianwomen #darkskin #unfairandlovely #darkskinwomen 

Art by Visithra on March 30, 2018
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The Bridal Jewellery

So this piece started out as something else but she was too pretty to be hidden in that idea. So I made her part of the #bejewelledseries. And I brought out temple jewellery designs for this art. Some of you would know I love jewellery. But I've actually designed my own temple jewellery, working with shops in India years ago. I love the look of temple jewelleries and my dance set it about 30 years old and still in great condition. 

 
Size : 20x28
#vissyarts #acrylicpainting #acrylicart #painting #painters #indianart #malaysianart #artmalaysia 
 #indianart  #darkskin #indianwomen #jewellery #jewelleryart #unfairandlovely #browngirl 

Art by Visithra on March 30, 2018
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Thursday, March 29, 2018
Ulek Mayang



By Visithra Manikam
@vissyarts 
Title: Ulek Mayang 
Size: 1m x 0.76m

I've been thinking of painting legends for sometime and decided to do this piece on one of my favourite Malay legends. So this what I was working on for 2 weeks before my trip. At one point I wasn't happy with the additional colours that I added that I eventually repainted it. Finally happy with how it looks. 
Ulek Mayang is one of the most famous folklore from Terengganu that has a haunting song and dance associated to it. 

The song lyrics repeat as below 

Ulek mayang ku ulek
Ulek dengan jala jemala
Ulek mayang diulek
Ulek dengan tuannya puteri
Ulek mayang diulek
Ulek dengan jala jemala
Ulek mayang diulek 

A group of fishermen were caught in a storm and their boat crashes. A sea princess falls in love with one of the fisherman and abducts his soul leaving his body unconscious. 

A bomoh tries to heal the unconscious man but the sea princess turns up with five of her sisters to battle him. Finally the Seventh and eldest princess appears and commands "Let those from the sea return to the sea, and those from the land return to the land." Yang laut balik ke laut
Yang darat balik ke darat 
Art by Visithra on March 29, 2018
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Vishveshwara



Size : 16x20
 #indianart #shiva
Art by Visithra on March 29, 2018
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Bejewelled

 I've combined my love of #jewellery into this art. It's a lot of painstaking details but oh so worth it. I will definitely be making a series of these. 

And this would be the 77th art I painted in 2017. Yes freaking 77 arts out of which 35 are large


Size : 24x20
By Visithra Manikam 


#vissyarts #acrylicpainting #acrylicart #painting #painters #indianar #malaysianart #artmalaysia 
#doodles #mandala #kolam #rangoli #indianart #indianwomen #darkskin #unfairandlovely #darkskinwomen 

Art by Visithra on March 29, 2018
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