CHENNAI: An old woman petting a goat on her lap, kids basking in the sun, a milkman cleaning his vessel, and a young girl worshipping a tree in a temple. These are a few among the many realistic paintings of SAV Elaiyaraja, a third-generation artist. His effort to capture a slice of everyday life reflects in his canvas through bright hues and attention to simple details. Elaiyaraja, who comes from a family of art lovers, started his journey 12 years ago after completing a professional course from Demonstration Multipurpose School in Mysuru.
“We belong to the Vishwakarma caste. Grandfather was into wood sculpting. Father was a Tamil teacher, a lyricist, and a composer. My two brothers are an inspiration. They’ve got a degree from the Government College of Arts. They do sculpting and artwork at our studio in Mylapore. What started out as assisting and interning under them ended up in motivating me to take it up art as a serious full-time profession,” says Elaiyaraja, who specialises in watercolour paintings.
Since 2007, he has participated in 17 group shows. This is his second solo show. He has exhibited his paintings in Coimbatore, New Delhi, Puducherry, and Mumbai. The present one has 40 paintings from his collection. “I have chosen watercolour as the medium because it’s complex. My motive was to bring out the exact facial expression and complexion of the subject/person.
The audience must be able to identify even the time of the day from my art. It speaks for the simple lives people lead across different strata of society. Everybody can connect and find it relevant. Over the years, this has become my style, people have accepted my work,” he says.
Subjects and scenes from different parts of the country find a place in his canvas. “My sketchbook has been my travel companion. Sometimes I click pictures on my camera, observe the nuances, and try replicating them in my paintings with a twist in the designs. Right from the folds of a sari to the drops of sweat streaming down a worker’s face — I have tried to bring life to the works. I have also started working on my next collection and will exhibit it by the year-end. The topic will continue to be on everyday lives,” he says. SAV Elaiyaraja’s paintings will be exhibited at Soul Spice Art Gallery in Mylapore until April 15. For details, call: 9840478886
A family of art lovers
His effort to capture a everyday life reflects in his canvas through bright hues and attention to simple details. Elaiyaraja, who comes from a family of art lovers, started his journey 12 years ago after completing a professional course from Demonstration Multipurpose School in Mysuru.