The city on canvas 

Artist Afshana Sharmeen is an unusual talent. She upcycles shoes for people tired of wearing the same ones, with her thin brushes, which give them an edgy and vibrant look.

For investigation teams that release a sketch of a crime scene, Afshana could help capture the minutest of details with her keen eye for detail.

Sometime ago, when a sudden fire happened at her home in Royapettah due to an electric short-circuit, Afshana worked her way out of the accident with alacrity and elan. That was not all: she went into the accident with the spirit of an investigator.

She began to delve deeper into aspects of the collateral damage: for one, the clusters of solidified smoke that formed on the corners of the ceiling. From them, she created a series of photographs. The result is a work in mixed media (wood).

“Art can help spread the message of sustainability, consciousness and I am happy to see people bring their empty jam bottles, faded coasters and fridge magnets for a touch of creativity,” says Afshana, who is in her late 20s.

Paintings images on shoes is a challenge. “The paint has to be waterproof, so I source it from abroad and sit with a magnifying glass and a thin, miniature brush to carve intricate designs,” she says. One of her customers, a young boy, wanted one shoe painted with an Iron Man painted and the other with Marvel.

Having picked the paint brush at the age of five, Afshana has been keen on passing the knowledge to children.

Afshana says she was intrigued by the world of landscapes initially but growing up in the urban environment slowly led her to explore cityscapes.

‘Dusty Dawn’ frame captures her childhood spent at Devaraj Mudali Street in Triplicane. “Long ladders, small shops selling all kinds of wares, rickshaws… the hustle and bustle of the street still remain,” she says.

Photo: Srinivasan KV

In 2015, her first solo exhibition ‘Visual Sensibilities – The Metro’ captured the fast pace of the Chennai Metrorail construction. “During this period, I watched a somewhat traditional city grow into a contemporary one with towering skyscrapers. I was in college but would hang out at these sites where the work was happening and come back and sketch them,” says the B.Tech (Industrial Biotechnology) graduate from Anna University. She considers the Metrorail project as one of her rare artworks that document the city and its transformation.

The part II series of the Metro has been symbolically represented through metals as the materials used for construction were everywhere. The boats of Kasimedu, themes like the pandemic and monsoon are among those others that fascinate her.

Her latest series, “Harmony in Chaos” is an abstract version of the city and its current happenings. “As an artist, I am trying to analyse the visual chaos and its effect in terms of transportation and architecture on developing countries like India. Experimenting with space, line and form for many years now has made me aware and sensitive enough to understand, internalise, visualise, experiment and compose mixed media three-dimensional paintings on this issue,” she says.

Afshana credits her journey as an artist to the guidance of eminent artist and sculptor AV Ilango from whom she started learning in 2004 and her mother who first spotted her talent when she was five years old.

To see her other works, visit www. afshanasharmeen.com