Indian Masala
A Painting for Opening Night
A client in Northwest London was opening a new Indian restaurant and wanted a one-of-one, a proper centrepiece, the kind of artwork that doesn’t just “decorate” a wall, but becomes part of the room’s identity. Something guests would notice the second they walk in. Something that quietly says, this place has a soul.
This commission was a bit of a milestone for me. It was my very first large commissioned piece, so I was really excited and wanted to get this right for the portfolio.
We sat down and talked what this piece should look like. I asked him about colour palettes, any specific designs, textures, and the overall vibe he wanted to have. But his brief was simple, ‘Indian theme, maybe the Taj Mahal, and some traditional Indian musical instruments’ Honestly, there wasn’t much to go on because he wanted to see what I come up with. It was exciting and a little nerve-wracking, because I knew I had to turn those few clues into something that felt right for his space.
By the way, going back a couple months, he purchased my very first painting that took me 4 months to complete. A painting I did for fun which I showed him to get his opinion. He saw it, his eyes grew with amazement, and said “how much do you want for it?” I was so shocked that someone who I don’t know offered me a price for my art on the spot. Thats how I got to this commissioned piece from him. Hence why, he fully trusted me to create something unique for him.
I get started with a draft sketch, like a mood board interior designers show to their clients. I had no clue about making the draft look professional, or create digital draft for him with different designs and options.
I just picked up some colouring markers and started to scribble what was in my head. The funny part was… the final image was already clear in my head. I could see it. I could feel the movement. I knew exactly where the focal point would hit and how the story would unfold across the canvas.
But my rough draft? Yeah… it didn’t help. I tried to sketch a quick preview for him, but it looked nothing like what the finished piece was going to become. The design lived in my mind more than it lived on that paper. If anything, the sketch made me anxious because I knew it wasn’t showing the full vision. Luckily, he stayed calm, smiled, and basically said, “Do your thing.” 😁
That line, “do your thing,” is always the moment a commission stops being a job and starts becoming art.
I worked on a 60" by 48" canvas with a depth of 3.8cm, large enough to hold space as a focal point, and bold enough to be seen from across the room. The main medium was acrylic on canvas, with layers built up to create depth, movement, and texture. I wanted it to feel alive.
The aim was to merge different elements of Indian culture into a single visual story your eyes can follow. But it is not intended to make it crowded or chaotic. Your gaze lands on the Taj Mahal in the centre, calm, iconic and grounding. The water in front of the actual Taj Mahal was replaced with a traditional sitter instrument, moves naturally across into the tabla, like a surreal painting. It then drops down into the street-level, detailing a baby taxi and a cycle rickshaw with silhouettes that gives the everyday India feel. The lantern becomes the street lights and the burning candle becomes sunset. The choice of colours do a lot of heavy lifting, warm oranges and reds that feel like spice, balanced by cool blues that add depth and evening mood. It’s not “one image.” It’s a whole atmosphere.
Time to deliver arrived and I anxiously wait to see his reaction. Carrying that nervous energy of what he may think was pumping inside me. Once he saw the canvas and I saw that smile, the nerves disappeared instantly.
He was genuinely thrilled. Not a polite “yeah it’s nice.” Real excitement. And even better, I was really pleased that the canvas was on time ready ahead of his restaurant launch. If you’ve ever been around a new opening, you know everything is moving at once. The builders, menus, signage, staff, suppliers and so on. So getting the artwork in and ready before the doors open felt like the perfect final piece of the puzzle.
I really appreciated this client and will never forget what he did. He didn’t just commission me a painting, he opened the doors for a career in creating bespoke artwork.