About the Artist

from ICONS of ART - Artists Autobiography E BOOK

Saima Hasan

Meet artist harmila Laghate, for whom art is a part of daily life and daily life often finds its way into art. For whom the joy of creating something new is the biggest reward of her career.

An open secret in her paintings is her wont of suggesting human presence without drawing actual human figures. In her sketch of a traditional Indian abode, for example, human presence is merely suggested by clothes drying on the line in the courtyard.

Sharmila’s art journey is dotted with successful painting exhibitions and events. An intuitive art teacher, she encourages individual expression while effortlessly imparting knowledge of art. She conducts classes and posts free art resources on her socials. She has served as jury for graphic design and aesthetics in leading art colleges in India. She has conducted a collaborative ‘Yoga and Art’ workshop series on meditative art.

Her painting ‘Serenity’ was adapted for cover design of a book of poems.

Bridging art to life has led to some truly memorable moments and a genuine connect with art enthusiasts who follow her work. It was a special moment when, during Sharmila’s first art exhibition in 1998, she received a pat on the back from not just her own art teachers, but their Gurus as well. Sharmila’s commissioned painting assignments and her being a much loved and sought-after art tutor, testify to her growth as an artist.

Sharmila believes that art has a universal language and can be sought by everyone willing to explore it and express themselves through it. In spite of new technology in art, she believes it is the human expression in hand-painted canvasses that truly speaks to our hearts. She aspires to spread joy through her art, not just locally, but across borders.

The sources of inspiration for Sharmila’s paintings are many, such as her own travel photography, but above all, it comes from nature and life itself. She believes that life and color go hand-in-hand, one incomplete without the other... even in grayscale, where the tones play instead of color, thereby representing the myriad shades of life.

‘Wilderness’… (Acrylics on Canvas)

‘Hope’… (Color Pencils on Handmade Paper)