Astha Patel is a visual artist based in Vadodara, Gujarat. Her interests lie in matters concerning ecology.
Rajamahal Lunavada Glassroom
The 200 year old Glassroom which is a formal dining room, sits at the magnificent Lunavada Palace. It is now being restored by Mrinalini Kumari of Lunavada. It is currently a work in progress where the walls of the room are adorned with handpainted glass panels for walls, glass tiles as flooring and mirrors on each side that make the room a vibrantly dramatic feat. Each glass for the wall panels; approximately a thousand in number, are painted by Astha Patel.
The glasses in the hall were previously painted by local painters about 200 years ago. The glasses were painted in tempera, which being a water soluble medium could not withstand seepage and changing weather over the coming years. The paintings were commissioned by Wakhat Singhhji Solanki, who was the ruler of the Taluka at that time. The themes for the paintings were types of birds and other wild life like snakes and horses.
The project took Patel almost two years to complete. She single handedly painted almost a thousand glass pieces. The themes and birds for each panel was decided by Mrinalini Kumari, and the paintings were executed in oil by Patel. The room covers almost each bird that is found in this country. The end result looks like a beautiful bright kaleidoscope of a room. The room is still a work in progress
