Portrait Artist
Manu Saluja
June 15, 2002
Washington, D.C.
When
her portraits were displayed at the Smithsonian's Sikh Heritage Dinner in
June, everyone took notice.
Manu Saluja is a talented young artist who specializes in portraits
done in oil. Her portraits are beautifully done. She has the ability to capture
every detail and bring out the best qualities of the client.
Manu begins with a planning session to acquaint herself with
the subject. She decides on the wardrobe and setting, and uses both photography
and live painting sessions to create the portraits. All portraits are created
in oil paint on fine linen canvas with high
quality archival products. A portrait takes between one to four months to
complete.
Manu is starting a new project, a life-size portrait of Maharaja
Ranjit Singh as a young Sikh fighter. Her intention is to create the portrait
based on historical facts and is in the process of collecting information
on the young Ranjit Singh's history and physical appearance. She hopes to
display the portrait at various Sikh exhibits for a period of time and then
auction it off to the general public.
Manu Saluja graduated magna cum laude from Bernard College with a B.A. in psychology in 1993. She then immersed herself in drawing and painting at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. As her talent for portraitures emerged, she began receiving commissions before finishing her BFA in 1997. In 1997 she also received the Rhodes Family Award for outstanding achievement in the illustration. In 1999 she was a finalist in The Artist's Magazine portrait competition. Manu Saluja can be reached at manupaints@voyager.net or (718) 459-8784.