The student of Delhi University 1970

This is Mariam Aslamazian’s watercolor of “The student of Delhi University,” and it just sings with freshness and immediacy. Can you imagine her, quickly capturing the likeness with washes of brown and rose? I imagine that the artist was completely taken with the student’s presence; the set of his jaw, the seriousness of his gaze. The watercolor is thin, allowing the light from the paper to shine through. Look how she modeled the face with quick, expressive strokes. Each brushstroke seems to capture a facet of his personality, a fleeting expression. It’s like she’s thinking aloud with the brush! The pink shirt is rendered with such simplicity, yet it’s perfectly balanced with the darker tones of his hair and skin. And that backdrop of lavender? It's like a breath of fresh air, pushing the portrait forward. Painting portraits is a conversation across time. Aslamazian's rendering is so fresh; she helps us see the world anew.