ERODE: He was destined to go places... The bus only took him there, quite literally. A social media sensation in his own right, miniature artist S Selvaganapathy (22) did not think of buses as merely a commonplace means of conveyance, but an engineering marvel, a work of art. But then, like numerous other talented artists, he too bottled up his love for the machine and went about his way to eke out a living. Then came the pandemic...
Confined within the four walls of his house during the lockdown, his financial insecurities lined up like a firing squad. “My office was shut down. I was worried about finances. It was then that I decided to divert my mind and do something productive, something I loved. That is when I crafted my first miniature bus,” the Gobichettipalayam resident says. His first miniature model was based on a KSRTC bus. No sooner had he posted the images of his craft on social media than they started garnering attention.
What followed next is the stuff of dreams. Casual inquiries paved the path for serious orders. And thus, Selvaganapathy’s miniature art business took off. Art can be a cruel mistress, pushing her true admirers to the brink before showing her benevolent side. Selvaganapathy knows this well. His interest lay in pursuing art, but his modest family could scarcely fuel his lofty dreams.
He ended up taking a job to support his family’s weak financial reserves. “I was always good at drawing but could not explore much. I do follow many artists on social media. I admire some miniature artists from Kerala. My journey kickstarted after coming across a tutorial on YouTube. At first, I followed the tutorial, but later I developed my own style.
Now, I have many models of cars and buses in my repertoire,” he said. Selvaganapathy makes miniature models of automobiles using PVC foam sheets, OHB sheets, Fevibar, and paint among other materials. His average models span 66 cm (l), 20 cm (h), and 15 cm (w), costing Rs 3,000. It takes his around one month to finish the product, which fetches him anywhere between Rs 6,000 and Rs 8,000, depending on features (movable with motor attached), he elaborated.
His clientele largely comes from the numerous vehicle fan clubs on social media. “I get the majority of orders from the fanboys thronging the groups. Apart from them, travel agencies too order my artwork. Some people order my miniature models to gift their friends and families. Then there are those that are choosy, demanding old and popular models. The small number of orders that I have received till now keeps me going,” he says.
Selvaganapathy’s parents, though not entirely sure of what their son does, are a happy lot as his creations are not only augmenting the family income but also carving out a niche for him. Selvaganapathy has planned a lot for his future. Given that his baby steps have already stirred up some interest, he hopes to widen his reach through social media.
“I plan to create miniature models of houses, architectural marvels, and landscapes. I am also planning to start a YouTube channel to expand my business in the online space,” he says. Well, the icing on the cake would be earning enough to leave the run-of-the-mill job behind and turning into an art director in cinema. “I wish that someday my big dreams will outgrow the tiny world,” he sums up.