Maheswari Janarthanan

However, even when the illustrated theme doesn’t deal with flowers or nature, viewers are drawn like honeybees to the sublime spiritual aura Maheswari’s images conjure, with large, flowing forms leading the eye to areas of intricate detail – a whimsical form of contrast that makes her clients smile. Based in Chennai, India, Maheswari has vast experience in the creative industries, having worked as a graphic designer before dedicating herself to illustration in 2010. Weaving folk art storytelling from her Indian roots with people, nature and the fascinating mystical aspects of the universe, she has defined her own colourful visual language attracting lifestyle brands from around the world.

Approach

Using Procreate, Maheswari sketches on her iPad before moving to Adobe Illustrator and her Wacom Tablet to meditatively perfect the colour and detail in each image

Style

Maheswari’s naïve style draws on Indian folk art influences, using rich palettes and large-but-gentle forms balanced with areas of fine detail to aid the narrative.

Languages

Tamil and English