Our Philosophy
At Restoration by Aashika Dhoomimal, we are guided by a deep respect for the integrity of every artwork entrusted to our care. Each work is approached not only as a personal possession, but as part of a broader cultural continuum.
Our practice is grounded in established conservation and restoration ethics, with an emphasis on minimal intervention, material sensitivity, and reversible treatments. Every decision is informed by research, technical examination, and historical understanding, ensuring the long-term stability, and legacy of the work.
We believe conservation is an act of responsibility, one that demands precision, restraint, and respect for time. Work within the laboratory is deliberate, methodical, and fully documented, ensuring transparency and accountability at every stage of the process.
Our Founder
Restoration by Aashika Dhoomimal was founded by Aashika Jain with a deep commitment to preserving India’s artistic and cultural legacy. As a fourth generation custodian of Dhoomimal Art Centre, India’s oldest private art gallery, Aashika grew up with an intrinsic understanding of art both as historically invaluable and profoundly irreplaceable. This legacy shaped her belief that conservation is not merely a technical practice, but an act of cultural stewardship.
Aashika completed her BSc in Conservation Studies and BA in Art History at Marist University in Florence, Italy, where her training encompassed the conservation of paintings, works on paper, antiques, and wooden objects, alongside study of art diagnostics. Her education was shaped by hand-on practice and material analysis, grounded in Florence’s long-standing conservation traditions.
She was mentored for four years by the renowned Caravaggio specialist Dr. Roberta Lapucci, Co-founder of Caravaggio & Contemporary. During her academic training, Aashika was a part of a significant restoration project involving a work on panel by Plautilla Nelli, the first known female Renaissance artist. The project brought together a team of specialists, including Dr Roberta Lapucci (Project Head), Jane Adams (Co-founder, Caravaggio & Contemporary), and Dr. Catherine Turrill (Art Historian and Plautilla Nelli specialist), alongside William Johnson (Art Diagnostician) and Rylie Severino (Art Historian). Aashika served as the project restorer. The work culminated in a public presentation at Santa Maria Novella, Florence, and was featured in Florentine Magazine.
Aashika has also participated in the Study Abroad Programme on the Global Art Market at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London.
