Rahat Kazmi: A Remarkable & Imaginative Abstract Artist

The highly reputable and refined professional Indian painter Rahat Kazmi is making big waves through her abstract paintings.

Rahat Kazmi was born in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India on September 4, 1984. Her father Abdul Nasir Khan is a government employee, working as a teacher.

Meanwhile, her mother was always a housewife. Rahat is the eldest child and has one younger brother.

Rahat Kazmi had a keen interest in arts from a young age. She had taken initial inspiration from her grandfather. She then began painting during her academic life.

However, it was after marriage that she took her artistic talent to the next level. In December 2018, she made the decision to head for Mumbai to fulfil her ambitions.

Rahat specialises in abstract paintings using vivid colours. Her work has been exhibited in Mumbai and other places.

Rahat has many famous clients in Mumbai and Indore. She has also had a major contribution to several creative projects. We present an exclusive Q&A with Rahat Kazmi about her artwork and paintings.

When and how did you first develop an interest in art and painting?

My grandfather was a renowned academician and artist of his time in Jaora, my hometown. At a very young age of four, I developed an interest in art by observing his work.

When I was in primary school, I used to make paintings on cloth. Soon people started to like my work on cloth.

By the time I was in high school, I used to make hand made artistic designs in relation to Kurtis and other stuff.

It was post-2006 after marriage when I started painting on canvas. At first, I used to paint mostly floral art and landscapes.

However, shortly afterwards using the same and similar combinations I developed a deep love to paint abstract art.

This I feel is the purest, deepest and most personalised form of art that carves out from the imagination of the artist.

Tell us a little about your paintings and style?

Since I love painting abstracts, I have developed mainly two styles – knife work and liquid textured artwork.

For me, art is freedom and I find that freedom while I make abstract artwork. This is amenable to millions of interpretation.

Everyone who sees a particular piece derives his or her own version of the story formed in the painting as per his or her vision.

In liquid artwork, I find the freedom due to the “free flow” of paints that I put in the canvas and use of my hands and knifes simultaneously to form a particular piece.

Also in liquid artwork, once I flow the colours in various combination as per my imagination, I can actually see the pattern that is in my imagination. This automatically develops in the canvas.

The beauty of abstract artwork is that one can use the colour combination if they want to replicate. But no one can replicate the piece in its true sense.

Most of my artwork revolves around “Law of Attraction,” especially in liquid fusion art. In fact, nearly all of my artwork takes clues from the universe and the same depict in my paintings as well.

I also love painting dancing ballerinas with an abstract background.

“I love to put bright colours in my artworks.”

And I believe that a painting once put in a place should bring life to the whole area. The painting should be vibrant enough to create positive energy around.

Describe some of the earlier paintings you did?

I tried my hands on various forms. However, before indulging in abstract art I was highly passionate about landscapes and floral artwork.

My first 36” / 36” landscape painting which is still very close to my heart is more of a seascape than landscape.

I like to paint water and merge the same with clouds, depicting an eternal bond between earth and the sky. Soon after seascape, I painted a landscape, which I named  “Golden Waters.”

“Golden Waters” is basically abstract artwork with the theme of a landscape – but using only Golden and Black colour.

Till date, this artwork is highly appreciated. This painting has been taken by a few clients including NRIs, HNIs and prominent hotels.

When, where and how long do you continuously paint for?

I have no fixed timings when I paint. It mostly depends on my mood and the kind of colour combination that is present in my mind.

I make the artwork in my home only. There is no specific time duration for completion of any painting.

Since I mostly paint abstracts, completion of the same depends on whether the artwork is complete from my view (imagination).

This can take from a day to a month to even few months till the time I am completely convinced that the artwork is ready to be displayed.

“Sometimes I finish a piece in a five to eight hours continuous stretch.”

Whereas at other times it can take a minimum of ten to fifteen days to finish.

It also depends on whether I am making artwork using a knife. This takes comparatively less time than liquid texture artwork where another layer of paint cannot be put in use until the previous layer completely dries.

Where has your work been exhibited and what have you showcased?

My artwork has been exhibited at prominent venues. They include the Jehangir Art Gallery (Mumbai), Hotel Taj Palace (Mumbai), Cymroza Art Gallery (Mumbai), Hotel Sayaji (Indore) and Indore International Airport.

My Artwork was also displayed at Mumbai’s Indian Art Festival (2020), Mumbai Art Fair (2019) and FOAID (Festival of Architects and Interior Designers, Mumbai – 2019).

Both during the Mumbai Art Fair and Indian Art Festival, there were more than 300 artists who participated in the exhibition.

Since my genre is abstract, all of my paintings were widely appreciated by visitors and celebrity guests. My ballerinas were also widely appreciated by all the visitors at the exhibition.

Who has recognised and purchased your paintings?

Till date, my artwork has been taken by prominent art collectors. I have successfully completed more than fifty projects including hotels, clubs, resorts, commercial offices and residential projects.

My artwork has also been recognised by various Bollywood stars. During the Mumbai Art Fair, my artwork was noticed by Bollywood veteran Jackie Shroff and actress Pooja Bedi.

During the Indian Art Fair, my paintings were appreciated by various celebrities. They include actor Nandish Sandhu, actress Preeti Jhangiani, singer Hariharan and celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor.

“Additionally, during the FOAID event, my artwork was widely appreciated by famous architects.”

Reza Kabul, Akif Habib and  Lalita Tharani are a few to mention.

My artwork has been much appreciated and taken by prominent hotels like Hotel Sayaji (Indore) and Yeshwant Club (Indore).

How can anyone purchase or commission your paintings and price range?

I usually display my artwork on my official Instagram page and Facebook page.

My personal website is under development. My artwork is, however, present in prominent art sites such as Story Ltd, Fizdi and Saatchi Art.

I believe that pricing of any artwork should be in such a range that one can afford to buy the same. Everyone likes artwork and wants to have a great painting in his or her residence or office. But it is a perception that art is costly.

My paintings cost starts at Rs. 20000 apiece. The pricing changes depending on the level of effort that I have been put and the size of the canvas.

However, I make sure that the price should be in the reach of art lovers. After all, a person buys a piece only if he or she is awed by its creation.

A person also wants to visualise a painting at a prominent place where the same is heavily visible.

What are your future goals and ambitions as a painter?

I just want to improve my skills. No one is perfect and for an artist, there can never be an artwork, which satisfies his or her imagination 100%.

I do visualise to display my artwork at prominent art galleries across the globe. I wish someday my artwork is appreciated by an international audience.

“Italy is my dream place where I want to display my artwork in the near future. It is also my dream to develop my own art galleries in popular places across the world.”

“I believe my paintings should provide life enhancement experience to my visitors, patrons and clients.”

For Rahat Kazmi, it seems the world is her oyster. Her artistic journey can take many more giant leaps. She has all the potential to conquer the world.

Rahat is happily married to Syed Ahmer Kazmi. She has one son named Syed Ali Kazmi. For further information on Rahat Kazmi, one can check out her official Facebook and Instagram.