No less than a beautiful mess

KOCHI: For architect-cum-artist Hashna Maria, every blot of paint created instinctively by tapping her paintbrush on a canvas, in a Jackson Pollockesque sort of way, has meaning. Using a technique she chanced upon a few years ago, Hashna creates striking compositions from what looks like a messy melange of colours to an untrained eye. But the young artist is not content with the abstract expressionism of just splashing paint. Peeking through the psychedelic multitude of dots are people, figures, landscapes, flora and even words. 

Hashna discovered her fondness for painting when she was in Class III, after winning an art competition. This led her to participate in similar contests throughout her school years. “In fact, it was because of this passion for art that I chose to study architecture. In the first year of college, we had a paper called visual arts, for which we were given the assignment to draw a tree. I painted a group of trees with a house in green and yellow hues. My friends said it looked magical. Soon, I started experimenting with abstract art and the technique of splattering paint on canvas,” says Hashna, a Vypeen-native.  

With the intent of participating in an exhibition, Hashna created a few more frames with paint splatter. However, her busy course schedule meant that she could not continue with her artistic interests for another two years. “At the end of the third year, three friends of mine and I decided to hold an exhibition. I created 15 works in the same style and called the series ‘Defining dots’. But the exhibition could not take shape. A few months later, during my internship, my friend who started an art page on Instagram, encouraged me to do the same. That is how @beautiful_mess_by_hashna_maria was born,” says the 23-year-old.

 Hashna revelled in what she termed a ‘beautiful mess’, creating vivid frames that caught the attention of her followers and celebrities alike. Soon, she started getting commissions for portraits and wedding cars. It was hardly a surprise when Anna Ben, Ahaana Krishna, Saniya Iyappan, Alicia Souza and MP Hibi Eden noticed her work. “When I started taking commissions, people asked me to paint their portraits. So I found a way to blend my style with what my clients wanted.

I first paint the given picture and then splatter the paint around the figure. Finally, I add the finer details. This adds a unique quality to the work instead of a straightforward portrait. I use a thick sheet of paper and acrylic colours,” says Hashna.  With more than 4,600 followers and counting, Hashna has established growing business. She not only creates commissioned portraits but has brought out a line of products including greeting cards, bookmarks, badges, notebooks and wrapping papers, all in her unique style.

“I launched my product line at pop-up markets. I have participated in Kochi Design Week, On Flea.k and Makers Fest. I do everything myself. I come up with the art, get it printed and manage the Instagram page.” Hashna wants to continue growing her brand while also concentrating on her architecture career. She hopes to design title texts for movies one day.