Artworks at your doorstep

When Rasmy Manu realised that paintings done by some of her family members and her relatives were merely “piling up in a corner of their houses,” she could not resist the temptation to put them to better use. “Not seeking prospective collectors, the works remained with them. Over tea one day, my husband and I came up with the idea of creating an online space where their works could be displayed so that art collectors could purchase them through the website,” says the 30-year-old, a resident of Kuravankonam.

The couple bought an already existing domain, innu.in, last March, which was then branded as an exclusive online art gallery of original paintings by Indian artists and high-quality art prints, all made available for easy sale. “Once an order for an original painting is placed by a customer, innu.in intimates the artist concerned. Within three days of intimation, the artist needs to pack the work as per the guidelines and it will be delivered to customer through courier. The payout for the artist will be done within seven days after the courier pick-up,” explains Rasmy, a former I-T professional.

For original works, Innu Art Store currently deals with only Indian artists but has acquired agreements with larger art galleries for reproduction of several works for fine quality printing. “We contact artists directly and receive soft copies of a specified picture resolution of their works, which are then put up on the website along with other details such as the name of the artist, the title, price, dimensions, medium etc,” says Rasmy, who also runs a home stay.

A painting by Sai Kumar   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The gallery has agreements with about 100 Indian painters, from amateur to professionals, for their original works. To guard against any damage during transit or delivery, the works come insured for the customer. Original paintings on sale cover a whole gamut of themes and subjects such as murals, religious, performing arts, landscapes, portraits, Mughal culture, abstracts, flora and fauna, to name a few. As regards art prints, that come in paper and canvas formats, one can purchase high-resolution reproductions of works from Dutch impressionist master Vincent Van Gogh to Raja Ravi Varma. Customers have the option of choosing a desired dimension for the print.

Today, the online art gallery caters to art lovers from as far as the U.S. and Singapore. “Original Kathakali paintings are much sought-after by Malayali customers who live outside the country,” says Rasmy. Favourites for art prints include Van Gogh, Hungarian-Indian painter Amrita Sher-Gil, Indian artist Francis Newton Souza.

So, hailing from a family of artists, does she pick up the brush herself? Rasmy admits that she is not an artist but is quite contented with being an enthusiastic art dealer.

A painting by Usha Ramachandran   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Starting today, Innu Art Store will be organising an exhibition-cum-sale, Innu Summer Art Fair 2018, at Museum Auditorium till April 23. The display features 30 paintings by four city-based artists — K. Jayakumar, Sai Kumar, Usha Ramachandran and Asha Suresh. Timings: 10 am to 6 pm.

Contact: 8289842230