Every monsoon I put the large canvases on hold for a few days and return to gold. Not as ornament — as light that refuses to stay still. In Mumbai the rains arrive with theatre: heat, then wind, then a sky that turns indigo before the first drop. That colour shift is what the Kashi evening works try to hold.

Why gold leaf, still

Collectors sometimes ask whether gold is "too traditional" for contemporary work. I think the opposite. Leaf is honest material. It wrinkles, it catches a window, it goes quiet at night. Temple makers knew this; so did manuscript illuminators. When I lay 24k leaf over a glazed indigo field, I'm not quoting the past — I'm using a tool that still outperforms any metallic paint.

Gold is not luxury in my studio. It is a way of inviting daylight into the painting.

Studio rhythm in the rains

Humidity changes everything. Oil skins form differently. Cold wax softens. Wasli paper must be watched. So the monsoon months become a season of smaller decisions: more glazing days, fewer impasto days, longer looking. I open the north windows early, close them when the dust storm rides ahead of the rain, and keep a kettle going — not for romance, for patience.

If you visit the studio between July and September, you may see works half-gilded, edges taped, leaf books open on a glass table. That is when the elite pieces often take their final breath of light.

A simple process map

  • Underpainting in warm earths or cool greys — never pure white as the final ground for gold
  • Multiple transparent oil glazes to build depth before any leaf is applied
  • Size (adhesive) timed to humidity; leaf laid with soft brushes, not fingers
  • Selective burnishing and intentional "imperfect" edges so the gold feels lived-in
  • Final varnish only after full cure — collectors receive care notes with every elite work

For collectors

Gold leaf works want gentle light more than direct sun. They reward rooms where morning or evening light moves. If you enquire for price on an elite piece with gilding, we always discuss placement — not to be precious, but because the work is half conversation with your architecture.

Certificates of authenticity list materials in full. Shipping uses corner protection and climate-aware packing. Payment plans are available on selected collector-tier works.

If this process speaks to you, browse the elite gallery or write to the studio. The monsoon will return; the gold is already waiting.