CHENNAI: Ink lines drawn carefully next to each other and layered on top of each other form the outline of Chennai Central. Bursts of watercolour fill the cream page with colour. From the Madras High Court to the Kannagi statue on Marina beach, 22-year-old Salmaan Mohamed has been chronicling the various monuments in Chennai through his ink paintings.
“The first painting I drew was in 2017 of the view from the Marina Lighthouse. It took me two trips to the lighthouse to complete the painting. It is such a beautiful building, and I loved to draw it,” says Mohamed.
Since then, he has painted at least 50 buildings in the city. Through these sketches, his art has developed and grown. He has chronicled places such as Ripon Building, National Art Gallery, Egmore Museum, Pachiyappa’s College, Southern Railway Headquarters, and more.
As an architecture student at Measi Academy of Architecture, Salmaan says that his fascination with architecture helped him with his art. “When you understand the purpose of each part of the building, drawing it is easier. I love these buildings and how majestic they are. Each building is a key part of Chennai’s history,” he says.
While visiting the monuments, Mohamed takes some time to learn about the history of each place to add an interesting tidbit for his followers on Instagram. “There is an Armenian Church in Parry’s Corner near Broadway. I read that it is over 300 years old. It was built by the Portuguese. Outside the church, it’s loud and there’s a lot of activity, but inside the church, it is quiet and calm,” he says.
While painting, many people approach him and speak to him about his art. It makes him happy. “When I was sketching Dr Ambedkar Law College, some students came up to me and asked me to draw them and took pictures with me. The locals also gave me coffee and snacks and told me to come again. They were really happy that someone was doing this for their area,” he says. His next series on Instagram will focus on the lives of people living in and around Chennai, from rickshaw-pullers to auto drivers. Check out his drawings on his Instagram page @maan.meraki
The process
While visiting the monuments, Mohamed takes some time to learn about the history of each place to add an interesting tidbit for his followers on Instagram. His next series on Instagram will focus on the lives of people living in and around Chennai, from rickshaw-pullers to auto drivers.