kaaranam-ketkadey: Rajan, the Ganesha Artist

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Rajan, the Ganesha Artist

Rajan: The Ganesha artist

Rajan has drawn nearly 600 Ganesha sketches of all shapes and imaginations. Currently, he has more than 525 black and white sketches, some 30 colour paintings and 15 on glass. He says, "I am seeing only Lord Ganeshaji in all ways of life"..

Rajan started drawing on school black board at the age of five. Plenty of sketches that he drew during school and college days were just given away to his friends. After graduation in Maths from Vivekananda College in Madras (now Chennai), one day he drew a Ganesha. His friends got interested and nudged him on to draw more. His imagination caught fire and widened his vision – he started specialising on Ganesha. Slowly his collection grew in size. During Ganesh Puja Festivals he was invited to hold exhibitions of his art work.

Presently he has more than 525 black and white sketches, some 30 colour paintings and 15 on glass. He has conducted more than twenty exhibitions in Mumbai alone. In Mumbai people from Vashi, Dombivili, Thane, Malad, Mulund, Lower Parel, Matunga and Santa Cruz have benefitted and enjoyed from his shows. Kalapathy in Kerala, which is Rajan's Home town, has also witnessed a couple of exhibitions. He plans to offer his drawing collections to anyone desiring to host an exhibition. All paintings are laminated and well preserved.

His collection of Ganesha pictures offer a very wide variety: Some standing, some sitting, some playing musical instruments like tabla, veena, tamburi, drums, etc. Depicted are Ganeshas in different moods like puzzled, mischievous, annoyed or simply gleeful.To Ganesha devotees it is a treasure house for veneration and worship.

Rajan Ramakrishnan (his full name), was born in Palghat, Kerala, educated in Hyderabad graduated in Madras and presently residing with his wife and son - aged ten in Dombivili, Mumbai. His multi-city up bringing has perhaps widened his vision and helped him see Ganeshas of different shapes, sizes, structures and material.

Encouraged by his well wishers, he has started a blog of his own in wordpress under the name rajandraws. Here, most of the Ganeshas he has drawn all portrayed under different categories. He has also provided three pictures for the readers, which he cherishes the most. All the sketches are available for free downloading for personal non-commercial use under Creative Commons Copyright.