About
Artist Statement
All my acts till this day lived upon the urge to visualize my concerns. It is my curiosity about the subject that I try to transfer using my canvas. I believe art is already there and I become the agent who enables its disclosure. There is a secret pleasure that I cherish in doing this, which only I enjoy, which is hard to pen down.
Artistic Roots and Evolution
I'm a self-taught artist from Palakkad, Kerala, where my passion for painting began at a young age. Coming from a farming family, my choice to pursue art wasn’t initially accepted, but over time, my family grew to support my journey. Apart from a certification from the Madras Government Technical Examination (MGTE), my learning has been self-directed. I started with abstract art, drawn to its vibrant use of color, and eventually transitioned to murals—each over a foot high—to overcome the spatial limits of traditional canvases.
Inspiration and Creative Style
Color plays a central role in my work, helping me build a visual dialogue with the viewer. I find inspiration in everyday life, aiming to evoke a sense of familiarity, nostalgia, and emotion through simple yet expressive themes. I don’t confine myself to any one genre—my art reflects whatever moves me in the moment. Over time, I’ve developed a particular interest in sketching larger-than-life figurines, capturing both scale and emotion in my compositions.
Featured Mural Artist
I believe art has varied effects on the onlooker and at some level, they find a connection with what they are exposed to. For some, it may be the color palette that draws a sense of resemblance, for some other, it may be the subject itself and there are some who perceive a totally different though parallel in my paintings. On several occasions, I have had people come up to me and share a perspective about my work, which even I had not observed. It feels fulfilling to realize that my art has touched people.
Before venturing out to be a full-time artist, I worked at a firm that catered to reproducing and exporting paintings of eminent artists. This brief stint proved to be of immense advantage to me as I got to closely interact with many a noteworthy and acclaimed works of art. Artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Edgar Degas have had a strong influence that inspired me to portray the emotions of everyday life on my canvas. Their determination to pursue a style that was different to the mainstream ‘realism’ trend followed by the majority of European artists, amused me. Taking inspiration from these great works, I have tried to recreate my versions.
I was commissioned by SheikhMohammed bin Rashid Al Maktou, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates(UAE), and ruler of the Emirate of Dubaito feature my work at the World Art Dubai. My work – ‘Awakening’ which was based on the developments in the scientific and technological sector of Dubai received much appreciation. My work of a woman with closed eyelids and a robotic arm symbolizes the swift advancements in the area of artificial intelligence in Dubai.
I was also awarded with the rare opportunity to paint a mural at the Dera Waterfront Market, an iconic place in Dubai. I competed with over a hundred artists to secure this opportunity. I was one among the eighteen artists who were shortlisted and I painted an image that combines the old traditions and the modern face of Dubai, which won me the chance to paint the same on the panels of the busy Waterfront Market. In this task that took over eight days, I had painted the graffiti of a young girl in traditional clothes looking at the world through her virtual reality lens. It represented the nation that was progressing, while being deep-rooted in their heritage.
Though the fast-paced life of the Middle East has always been a key theme in my works, I still love to paint the memories from my beautiful village, back in Palakkad. I have conducted several exhibitions in Kerala and Bangalore. Art is an important part of my life; it was more like a calling. After completing my schooling, it was almost a quick decision that I took to take up painting. Art brings out the best in me and it is what I am best at.
I want to travel a lot and explore many lands. I would like to focus on murals and street art in particular, thereby opening up an arena for the locals in every region to witness the progress and completion of my art. I want to take my art to the larger community that includes commoners who are don’t have access to it.