Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

Mirror art
By Ishani Ranasinghe
Mirror, mirror on the wall, the words spring to mind. No, she doesn’t stand in front of them to ask who is fairest, but creates exotic, eye-catching designs with them.

Maheshi Munasinghe, an interior designer by profession has been working with mirrors for the past 10 years. “I got into this quite by chance,” she says explaining how it all began when she accidentally dropped a mirror. “I was just playing around with the pieces and put together a design.” Her first piece still hangs on the wall of her parents’ home in Kurunegala. From there onwards there was no stopping her.

“Many people believe that broken mirrors bring bad luck. I have heard this many times but it never stopped me,” she smiles. Maheshi’s first exhibition was held five years ago. And she had such an encouraging response that it became an annual event. She does other creative work like pottery painting but mirror work is her speciality.

“I have always been fascinated by mirrors,” says Maheshi explaining that even a plain mirror can make a house attractive. “I thought that maybe a mirror with a bit more could do better,” she says pointing out how when an outdoor garden is seen through a mirror inside the house it is a pretty sight. “When the mirror has designs on it, it is even better.”

Maheshi first cuts the glass and then works around the pieces until she finally gets the design that is in her mind. She normally uses jute with the mirrors, but this year started using ekel as well. Pasting all of this on hardboard is hard work and time consuming. “Ekel is very difficult to paste. The whole process takes about two to three days and needs a lot of patience,” she adds.

Maheshi has also introduced some Egyptian art into her collection this year. She does not advertise her creations but word has spread. “I have a clientele that has stood by me and keeps coming for more,” she says.

Since she doesn’t believe in marketing her work through shops, Maheshi is planning on opening a gallery in the future. “In the Gallery there will be everything that is needed for a home. People will be able to see how it looks,” she says adding that at present she only makes her one of a kind mirrors on order. Maheshi’s latest exhibition, Wall Hangings will be held at the Lionel Wendt Gallery on September 6 and 7.

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