Two Mumbai-based siblings are breathing fresh life into the art of mosaic. Check out why their colourful artworks are worth spending every penny on. By Pallavi Mehra
Sisters Aashika and Tanishaa Cunha chanced upon the art of mosaic on a visit to Park Güell in Barcelona, Spain. Taking inspiration from artist Antoni Gaudi’s architectural masterpieces, the duo came back and began work on vibrant hand-cut vitreous tiles imported from Italy to turn them around into artworks for display. The end result is art works with improved texture and vitality.
The Cunha sisters have completed over 80 pieces of mosaic and the response has been phenomenal, especially from their clientele of illustrious families in the country. Surprisingly, most of their commissions have come through word-of-mouth and social media. One of their highlights is a 252-sq-ft work titled “Ke Aloha O Ka ‘Āina (Love of the Land)” for the Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Another highlight are two 120-sq-ft portraits of Sheikh Zayed—the father of the UAE in Abu Dhabi. This project was commissioned by the Aldar family as a public initiative, in collaboration with Make A Wish Foundation.
Each work by A & T Cunha is unique. Typically, a client gives them a reference or theme to work with. They first design it digitally and get an approval. Thereafter, they draw out the design on a cement board and start working on the final mosaic piece. The tiles that they import from Italy are washed and hand-cut individually. While the work is in progress, processed pictures are shared with the client.
A & T Cunha has more commissions in the pipeline, including another international project. “Manicures and mosaics just don’t gel! Expect lacerations on your fingers as the tiles are sharp!” warns Aashika, to artists that want to give mosaic artworks a shot.
