Buying fine art without spending millions

Bandra offers serigraph prints which are done in collaboration with the artist

Linah Baliga. Bandra

Nestled on Perry Cross Road in Bandra is the first-of-its-kind The Serigraph Studio, a place dedicated to art lovers who do not have deep pockets but want to adorn their homes with works of their favourite artists in the form of serigraphs or fine art prints. The studio is the brainchild of art collector Lavesh Jagasia, who has become a publisher of fine art prints. “The concept of prints and print-making is a widely accepted phenomenon in mature art markets which regard fine art prints - serigraphs, lithographs, wood cuts and various types of intaglio prints - as collectible works of art unlike offset prints and digital reproductions which are considered art posters even if they are signed by artists,” says the 37-year-old.So does that make serigraph a reproduction of the original work? “It is not a replica, it is the artist’s work,” says Jagasia. “It is done in collaboration with the artist and all image changes are made under close supervision to produce an original serigraph.”

Serigraph prints are made by using the stencil print-making method, where ink is pushed through the stencil by means of a squeegee (rubber roller), thereby applying layers of ink in various colours on the paper. The work is then numbered, titled and signed by the artist and released in limited editions. The studio helps in the promotion and collection of contemporary Indian art by making it more accessible and affordable to the public.

When asked why he ventured into this type of print-making technique, Jagasia says, “Serigraph offers a wider colour spectrum and is closest to the artist’s visual expression. The application of ink is similar to the application of paints by artists.”