Artist
Laxmi Hussain
Laxmi Hussain is a London-based artist whose work exists somewhere between the abstract and the realistic. Having studied architecture, she enjoyed and excelled at the drawing and fluid art techniques within the course and this became a basis from which to explore all aspects of drawing.
After becoming a mother, Laxmi began drawing daily and sharing her work on Instagram, finding artwork to be a valuable means of reclaiming her own identity amid the emotional blurrings of motherhood. These experiences of motherhood can be seen clearly within her work, as well as exploring themes surrounding the body, specifically looking to challenge negative associations and normalise representation of all types of bodies within art.
Read 'In The Studio With Laxmi Hussain'
Laxmi's Style
Her process is primarily focused upon drawing and Laxmi loves to use a continuous line, completing drawings in one or sometimes two or three continuous lines.
She will often practise this technique before starting a body of work either in pen, ink or pastel, using these initial drawings to influence the shapes of her paintings. She often paints in either ink or acrylic, whilst a lot of her work at the moment explores a single colour, she does often explore many tones of the same colour in ink.
“Working in the colour blue has been a process of love as well as an obsession, I personally love the conversation blue has with the world around it, in particular with natural tones. My obsession with this colour I feel comes from my mother, losing her peaked my obsession. I feel it was a way to connect my feelings with something real, pouring my love for her into my work. Working on my art allows me to process a lot of my grief, it grounds me.”
"This collection of work is dedicated to my mother, expressing her presence in every thought of my everyday. Becoming a mother again, there is an added level to my grief, raising a child without her - I know so many expressions, emotions and things we would have shared because I had her for my first two children. I hope this collection not only inspires more appreciation of the varying forms of motherhood, but a moment to reflect on our loved ones who may not be here, to remember so much of them lives on and loves in us." - Laxmi Hussain
AVAILABLE ARTWORKS
Shop by Collection
March Drop 2024
“My work is all about connections, moments, loving, many of these moments are not unique and that's exactly why I paint them. In the last few months I've been exploring those small moments through our connections, and many of mine stem from mothering. In grief, I often think about the memories I have of my own mother and these often reflect the feelings I now try to share with my own children, I like this sort-of recycling of emotions, their continuity in life, keeping legacies and holding on to love.
These pieces explore this more deeply, I want you to feel moved by these small moments which are seemingly mundane, but I also want you to feel the familiarity, a reminder to share tenderness and love, not just with our children.” - Laxmi Hussain, Moments in a day
November Drop 2023
“I've been exploring these forms recently, wondering how my drawings transform across different mediums and objects. I love how hands, feet and bodies intertwine. And I am particularly enjoying the entending fingers and legs which transform the light shades as you rotate them. The story appears to evolve or move like it's a particular evening and all these women are gathered, free in their bodies, enjoying a moment.” - Laxmi Hussain, Women intertwined
September Drop 2023
“Body heat, hearts beat, summer warmth and feelings peak - this year is probably the last year any of my children will spend so much time in my studio. Having spent the last 3 years nurturing my youngest whilst simultaneously nurturing my career as an artist I feel both relief and heart ache.
Both my children and my art take the most space in my world and I have time for both, whilst also only sometimes having space for one or the other. Its a pull and push, stretch or be stretched situation - as I write these words, my youngest sits on my lap begging to be released from my studio space...we only just got here! Despite all this, I really appreciate the small moments, always - having to live with huge grief and understanding just how lucky I am to live this constant juggling act, I live for this.
This collection is a small snippet, sometimes they are few and I have to take time to bask in that moment, but also, as my work evolves, as age and life give me more confidence in the skin I grow in, there are subtle connections between these moments. Connecting to one another as I grow, feelings of similarity - a hand sits here because it has sat here before, sometimes a foot, maybe a whole body - our connection.” - Laxmi Hussain, A Connection
May Drop 2023
"Over the last few months I have been exploring new mediums, allowing playful notes to work their way into my art and just enjoying what this change of mindset can bring. Playing the colours which remind me of my trip home to the Philippines in January and taking on new techniques, I've had a lot of fun experimenting and just seeing where that takes me - following the calm and flow that changing your usual routine can offer. I'm particularly drawn into how each piece of work can connect to another which is becoming a feature in my work, allowing for several pieces to sit together with ease and also be confident on its own which embraces the message I wish to continue in my work of how we should see ourselves and welcome self confidence in our bodies whatever their shape. I've used up paper from books which had been falling apart, lost pages and reclaimed papers which I've just kept for years for those projects we all say we'll work on "one day"...these have been the days." - Laxmi Hussain, Gallivanting In The Sunshine
March Drop 2023
"This collection shares an on-going conversation I have with myself. To see myself, to see my worth, allow myself to take up space and to be kind to myself. I share these thoughts because I know so many of us go through them, there are many women who don't see their worth until someone else shows them. These pieces represent fragments, I often like to work this way, because the small pieces of us make the whole and we often overlook this. I see you and you are worthy." - Laxmi Hussain, I See You
