Unfolding an array of surprises

She has been splashing rainbows on items like baggy jeans, old shoes and bare walls making even the mundane look magnificent through a few strokes.

A content creator by profession and a custom artist by passion, Mana Santhanam, has been re-painting and customising items since she was a young girl. What started as a pastime turned out to be an important part of her life after she rediscovered her talent a few years ago, while painting on one of her old pair of shoes.

Mana soon started painting on shoes, T­-shirts and notebooks. It was only a matter of time when requests started pouring in and she soon realised that she could start her own venture. ‘Mana Custom Art’, took birth early this year. The entire process is fun-filled as the product itself and there is always an exchange of ideas between her and the customer. Once they contact her and explain their choice of theme and colour, Mana works hard to gain insight into the customer’s life and persona, apart from adding her own ideas. 

“The customers share everything like their photos, about the people they are placing the order for, stories, music, hobbies and anything else that they feel define them. Art aside, this is probably one of my favourite bits because this is where I get to know the person, their story and their associations. I’ve heard some of the best stories and met some fascinating people through this,” she says.

The items she has customised are vast and varied like reading glasses, bags, dresses, shoes, sneakers, high heels, specific T-shirts for occasions and musical instruments like guitars, ukulele and flutes. “I have also been lucky enough to customise items for some of the finest musicians in the country, who also happen to be good friends.” It doesn’t stop here, as Mana gets orders even from places like the USA, UK and Czech Republic.

She has painted characters from movies and shows to cartoon and comic characters — from ‘Flintstones’ and ‘PowerPuff Girls’ to Anime series like ‘Bleach’ and ‘Full Metal Alchemist’. “The particularly interesting themes have been the music-related ones. There have been my personal favourites too like ‘Daft Punk’, ‘Iron Maiden’ and ‘Pearl Jam’.”

Mana makes sure to retain an element of surprise. “I don’t share photos or sketches during the process and so far, their reactions have been worthwhile. Still, I’m constantly in touch with them through the process.”

Each product has a defining element that makes them stand out.  “This is especially apparent when customers tend to give similar themes. I've had more than one customer ask for Batman-themed shoes but as it’s customised to their preferences, the shoes aren’t the same.”

Booked until April, Mana is working with different mediums and experimenting with new ideas. Her belief that everyone should own a personalised item drives her to work hard. “What I hope to do through my customisation work is to give people a colourful, quirky, fun medium through which they can represent a little bit of their own personality and that of people special to them, and wear them proudly.” Each of her product contains her heart and soul, as much as the customer’s.