Elegant and ethereal but also precise and geometric, Laxmi Hussain’s drawings and watercolours exist somewhere between the abstract and the realistic, often presenting what appear to be the free-flowing organic forms of nature through intricately ordered patterns. Her finely detailed line forms are rooted in a fascination with architecture, a subject she studied for several years before becoming disillusioned with the constraints and rigidity of the discipline and shifting her focus to the unconstrained creative possibilities offered by art.
Laxmi has been drawing for as long as she can remember. As a child in London, she would lose hours after school, sketching on the counter in her dad’s corner shop. But it is only since the birth of her first child a few years ago that Laxmi has turned her passion into a profession. Re-inspired by the irrepressible joy in creativity shown by her children, she picked up the pencil once again, finding artwork to be a valuable means of reclaiming her own identity amid the emotional blurrings of motherhood.
Her inspiration comes from the forms encountered in everyday life, from the patterns of home interiors, the natural shapes of the outdoors and the geometries of architecture. Working in several different media, usually at night, Laxmi is driven by experimentation, constantly exploring new techniques and searching for the shapes and subjects they express best. Often, her work includes elements that appear incomplete – a bird reduced to an outline or a face with an absent feature – obliging the viewer to pause and engage with the artwork, filling in the absences themselves rather than just dismissing it and moving on.
Laxmi’s distinctive style has attracted commissions for illustrations and artwork from a variety of commercial clients and individuals, and she exhibits her more personal pieces at galleries and art events around London, as well as making it available to view and buy.
Projects
- Landscapes of Women, 2022 - Wembley Park public mural installationSplay Steps, hand-painted concrete steps on the Wembley Park estate, unveiled in 2022 for International Women's Day. In what has been a traditionally masculine space, right at the foot of Wembley Park Stadium, I wanted this piece to be a celebration of the women within the Borough of Brent. Creating playful forms which emulate the female form this abstract piece was hand-painted by myself. I also invited 5 other local female artists to participate. Commissioned by Wembley Park with Artistic Stat
Work history
Window mural artistCubitts
- 43 Elizabeth St, London SW1W 9PP, UKFreelance
I drew in the window at the Cubitts Belgravia branch as part of the displays which the local businesses put on every year for Belgravia in Bloom.
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Workshop Artist - Supper ClubMarguerite London
- 3-4, Eccleston Yards, London SW1W 9AZ, UKFreelance
A supper club and life drawing event hosted with Marguerite London for IWD2022.
I hosted a unique supper club with food by Wild by Tart honouring my heritage with food inspired by the Philippines, combined with a life drawing experience before the meal.
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Skills
- Illustration
- Adobe Photoshop/indesign/illustrator
- Painting
- Watercolour Illustration
- Watercolor
- Drawing
- Art Drawing
- Ink Drawing
- Ink Illustration
- Pen Illustration