Art Broken

There used to be, way back in the late 90s, a men’s fashion store called Elements that tailored sharp suits for many a Bandra boy. Then one day without any word, proprietor and designer Lavesh Jagasia shut shop, leaving the men without shirts on their backs and panic-stricken the following New Year’s Eve. Now, almost a decade later, they can finally get closure.

Turns out Jagasia was also an art connoisseur, and after shutting Elements had started up The Serigraph Studio in 2003, an online hub that published and distributed limited edition serigraphs (fine art prints) of Indian artists. Last week, the Studio got its first physical presence, taking over the Perry Cross Road space once occupied by abovementioned Elements. What's that they say about fashion being cyclical.

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Here’s how it works at The Serigraph Studio: They tie up with a bunch of Indian painters – the current impressive roster features Raza, Sakti Burman, Jehangir Sabavala, Jogen Chowdhury and others – to create serigraphs of their art works under each artist’s supervision, exclusively for The Serigraph Studio. These ‘original’ works in a new medium are signed by the artist and start at Rs 30,000. While you can browse the prints online, it’s nicer to visit the cute studio where you can see and touch Lalu Prasad Shaw’s Bengali women, stare dreamily at Burman’s weathered frescos and lose yourself in Sabavala’s mosaic forests. Art enthusiast Yasmin will be there to guide you – if not, she lives just across the street so she’ll be there in a jiffy – while her young daughter mans the counter (we’re guessing just on weekends), softly playing the soundtrack of Juno.

Buying one of these, she’ll tell you, is also a good investment, because there are just 125 of each print, and every serigraph comes with a certificate of authenticity assuring you that no more of the same print will be made. The price rises as the editions gets depleted, making it a valuable buy.

Fade out voice of Juno's The Moldy Peaces, fade in, Lalu Prasad Shaw's Lovers.

Getting there: The Serigraph Studio, # 1, Sunbeam Apartments, Perry Cross Road, Bandra  (W), call 9324993249 or visit www.serigraphstudio.com, start at Rs 30,000.