Vijayalakshmi Mohan

Decorative painter

Nicky Loh ©Michelangelo Foundation

Master of joyful Rangoli

Vijayalakshmi creates a new Rangoli every morning
She holds the Guinness World record for the largest Rangoli
She uses this traditional art as a form of art therapy

Vijayalakshimi Mohan learnt the art form of Rangoli from her mother, as is the tradition to pass this art form down from generation to generation. It is a widespread type of floor art in India which is thought to ward off evil spirits from homes and welcome guests. She would excitedly follow her mother to their front yard at 05:30 every morning. She would also wander around the neighbourhood, admiring the designs made especially during festivals and then come home to practice and improve them. Nowadays, she makes and teaches Rangoli not only to safeguard the Indian culture in Singapore but also as a therapeutic and social practice. According to Vijaya, the sensory stimulus to one’s fingers, the brain stimulus from the colours and the excitement from the shapes and the movements in performing Rangoli have healing and therapeutic properties.

Interview

Nicky Loh ©Michelangelo Foundation

Nicky Loh ©Michelangelo Foundation

How would you define what you do?: Rangoli is a doorstep or courtyard painting, drawn outside the entrance to the house. Singarangoli is an adoption of the traditional Indian Rangoli art form to Singapore and in the process the art has been fine-tuned and adapted to Singapore circumstances with multiracial community.
Have you mastered any specific techniques?: I invented Singarangoli. The first weatherproof Rangoli was successfully launched at Esplanade in Singapore and was on display for more than a month, it was exposed to stormy winds, battering rain and heavy sunshine. In a break from tradition, Rangolis at the Esplanade moved from the floor to the wall to the ceiling.
What do you love most about your profession?: It makes me very happy to connect our multiracial community through the colourful art of Rangoli, and to preserve and promote this traditional art form for future generations. I like to find ways to evolve and adopt the Rangoli to reflect modern circumstances.
Can you tell us a memorable moment in your professional life?: I hold the Guinness World Record for the largest Rangoli in the World. I also hold 34 Singapore records in various categories (such as the largest and the longest). I had the privilege and honour of drawing my Rangolis in the presence of previous Singaporean presidents.

Vijayalakshmi Mohan is a master artisan: she began her career in 1965 and she started teaching in 1995