Marquage artist gives luxury goods a unique makeover

This artist from Chennai does marquage art on luxury goods. Her style is inspired by nature.

“Marquage is a French word that refers to the art of making a mark. I would like to call it wearable art because people can ‘wear’ it or carry it with them. It’s a comparatively new form of art and Chennaiites are slowly getting to know about it. When I started around three years ago, I didn’t know how to go about it. I wanted to see how long the colours will last, whether there will be any wear and tear and so on. I checked with my friends and they gave me their bags to experiment. Twenty five bags and six months later I was ready to start taking commissioned projects,” Shirin starts the conversation.

After Shirin’s work got noticed via social media and word of mouth, she started getting projects from all over the country. “Sometimes, people send bags, shoes and suitcases directly from the store. I also do hand paint on denim jackets,” she smiles.

Each project is exciting for Shirin and she considers art as a meditative process. “I thoroughly enjoy my work; it is a very relaxing activity.

That said, one has to be extra careful while working on luxury goods. If you are painting on a wall canvas and need to make any changes, you can easily do it. But when it comes to bags or shoes, it is not that easy. I also do wall arts and am currently working on a residential project,” the artist shares.

Clients approach Shirin for special occasions like anniversaries and birthdays. “Gifting hand-painted goods is a thoughtful gesture. I create customised one-of-a-kind artwork using water-resistant acrylic paints which are durable depending on the care you take of it,” sums up Shirin.