Thrissur artist uses home wall to land collaborations with Amazon Prime, Netflix

The stylish look of Mohanlal in ‘Malaikotta Valiban’, the iconic smile of Mammootty in ‘Bhramayugam’—one after another, Rashid Sulaiman, a 26-year-old from Thrissur, brought his favourite film characters to life on the back wall of his house. But there was something unusual about his art. 

Each time he completed a painting, he erased it and started again with a new character. What began on a small wall soon expanded to a much larger canvas—the concrete roof of his house. At first, many questioned his efforts. Why spend days on paintings that would be erased within a week? Rashid, however, kept going.

Two years later, those very walls and roof have become part of his livelihood, with collaborations from platforms and brands, even like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.

“Usually, people want their artwork to last. But in my case, each painting exists only for a few days. The only memory is through photos and videos,” says Rashid, who also works as a movie poster designer.

Rashid’s interest in art began in childhood. After losing his father, Sulaiman, nine years ago, he drew strength from his family, particularly his brother Abdul Hameed. Participation in school arts festivals and competitions further nurtured his talent. He went on to complete a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Applied Arts from the Government College of Fine Arts in Thrissur and began working as a freelance artist, focusing on poster design and graffiti.

Two years ago, he decided to try something different—painting on the back wall of his house in Edavilangu, Kodungallur. “I started with Mohanlal’s Malaikotta Valiban. I wanted to do something unique and gain recognition online,” he says.

The idea quickly gained attention on social media, opening doors to collaborations. He later worked on promotions for films and OTT releases, including projects associated with Nani’s ‘HIT: The Third Case’ for Netflix and Rajinikanth’s ‘Coolie’ for Amazon Prime Video. He has also worked on promotional campaigns for theatrical releases, including Joju George’s ‘Pani’, Basil Joseph’s ‘Ponman’, Asif Ali’s ‘Sarkeet’, Tovino Thomas ‘Narivetta’, Unni Mukundan’s ‘Get Set Baby’, and Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa’, among others. And his personal favourite among all, Sanju Samson, in the Chennai Super Kings jersey. 

Rashid later moved to an even larger surface—the terrace of his house. One of his early roof works was a portrait of Pranav Mohanlal, which eventually led to a promotional project for the Kia Seltos.

Painting on such a scale comes with its own set of challenges. A wall painting takes around 14 to 18 hours, while a rooftop work—spread over nearly 310 square feet—can take up to 45 hours. The weather is the biggest hurdle. Even a brief spell of rain can wash away hours of work, forcing him to start over. “There have been times when I couldn’t finish on schedule because of rain. On the roof, water can collect and damage the painting. Since most of my work is portrait-based, even a small flaw can ruin the entire piece,” he explains.

There is also the question of visibility. Unlike gallery art, these works are not easily accessible. “Most people see them only through photos or videos. But some have come home just to see the paintings, and that means a lot to me,” he says. Rashid handles the entire process himself—from shooting photos to editing and publishing them online. For high-angle shoots, he hires a drone.

The work is also physically demanding, especially on the terrace. He uses regular wall paints, enhancing them with pigments to achieve the desired shades. Brushes and spray bottles are his primary tools. Each painting costs between ₹4,000 and ₹7,000.

“I don’t like erasing my work, especially after spending so many hours on it. But that’s the only way I can keep experimenting and doing something different,” he says. So far, Rashid has completed around 25 such works across his wall and rooftop.

Apart from these projects, Rashid also takes up graffiti assignments and explores other forms of visual art, including pebble art and installations. “I don’t want to limit myself to one medium. I just want to keep experimenting,” he says, adding that he plans to explore even larger canvases in the future.

At home, he shares this journey with his mother Ramla and sister Sumayya—his constant support system.