Thangaraj: A Master of Innovative Postcard PaintingsThangaraj: A Master of Innovative Postcard Paintings Art has a rich and diverse history, and painting remains one of its most enduring forms. From ancient cave paintings to contemporary masterpieces, brush strokes have the power to convey profound ideas. In the town of Avaniyapuram, Madurai, Thangaraj, an art teacher with a passion for innovation, has found a unique canvas: postcards. Inspired by the once-essential carriers of messages, which have become nearly obsolete in the digital age, he embarked on a mission to revive their significance through the art of painting. With immense dedication, Thangaraj set out to illustrate the 64 Thiruvilayadal of Lord Shiva, a revered epic describing the divine games of the deity. He meticulously studied books and visited Shiva temples to gather information, ensuring the authenticity of his depictions. Using pencil sketches, colored pencils, and a black pen, he painstakingly recreated each Thiruvilayadal on the small surfaces of postcards, completing 64 in just 60 days. His unwavering spirit and artistic prowess extended beyond postcards. In the renowned Meenakshi Amman temple, where mobile phones are not allowed, he rendered intricate drawings of stone sculptures, capturing the historical essence of the surroundings. Thangaraj’s artistic repertoire is vast. He has mastered the art of depicting dance forms like Bharatanatyam and Karakattam using pencil and watercolor. His miniature paintings on visiting cards, showcasing natural scenes and cartoon portraits, display his versatility and attention to detail. He has even skillfully painted landscapes and mountain scenes on palm leaves. Currently, Thangaraj aspires to illustrate the 1330 couplets of Thirukkural through his paintings. By bringing this ancient text to life, he hopes to make its wisdom accessible and engaging for younger generations. Thangaraj’s journey is a testament to the power of creativity and innovation. By transforming ordinary postcards into canvases for storytelling, he has breathed new life into a forgotten medium and showcased the enduring power of art to inspire and educate.
Painting is one of the oldest art forms. It has evolved over time. Through brush strokes, profound ideas can be conveyed. In this context, Thangaraj from Avaniyapuram, Madurai, has created impressive paintings on postcards, illustrating the 64 Thiruvilayadal of Lord Shiva (Tiruvilayadal Purana is an epic that describes the sixty-four divine games played by Lord Shiva). From a young age, Thangaraj developed an interest in painting by drawing cartoons found in Ambulimama books. Gradually, he moved from cartoon drawings to portrait paintings, sculptures, pencil drawings and watercolour drawings, and eventually became an art teacher in a private school. While exploring different types of painting, he wanted to do something innovative. He realised that postcards, once carriers of messages, were now almost redundant due to the prevalence of mobile phones, and decided to spread awareness about postcards by painting the 64 Thiruvilayadal of Shiva on them.
To achieve this, Thangaraj visited various Shiva temples to gather information and also studied books in libraries. He started with pencil sketches and then used colored pencils and a black pen to complete the paintings. The entire process took him 60 days, painting one or two Thiruvilayadal each day to complete all 64 in 60 days.
In addition, in the Meenakshi Amman temple area, where mobile phones are banned, he drew numerous stone sculptures, including that of sage Patanjali, the stone carvings around Swami Sannadhi and the statues in the dark mandapam, using pencil to accurately depict the historical period.
In the category of watercolours, Thangaraj has artistically depicted dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Poikkal Kuthirai, Karakattam and Parai Attam using pencil and watercolour. Till date, he has drawn more than 150 miniature paintings on visiting cards, depicting natural scenes and cartoon portraits using pencil, pen, sketch and coloured pencil. He has also skillfully painted natural landscapes and mountain scenes on palm leaves.
Thangaraj’s next aim is to illustrate the meanings of Thirukkural’s 1330 couplets through his paintings so that the essence of Thirukkural is easily understood by the younger generation.
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first print: July 6, 2024, 12:25 PM IST
