The Asian Art Gallery, founded by Santhana Krishnan, had their second art show the past two weekends, June 7-8 and June 14-15, and it was a show featuring one extraordinary artist, Mark Rathinaraj.

A bit of background about Mark: He completed his Diploma in Fine Arts (D.F.A) from College of Fine Arts; Kumbakonam (1985-1990). This recent show was his 17^th solo art show, but it was not just like any other art show for Mark. It was a special one for him. He explained this to me in a recent interview.

Can you give us a bit of a background about yourself and about this collection you have brought for the Asian Art Gallery show.

I‘ve participated in many group shows, around 40 shows. In the last 24 years, I believe this is my 17^th solo show…But this is a very special show. I did watercolor, charcoal, and acrylic on canvas. 3 mediums.

Do you usually only stick to one medium?

No but for me it’s special because I was allowed complete artist’s freedom, you know? The freedom I got from Mr. Santhana. It really is a big opportunity for me to express and curate the show.  Typically galleries are usually looking for something more specific and dictate what they want. That’s why I am very comfortable with this show and that’s why it’s special for me.

Now, about this work. It is a Performers Series and it’s a show called “I Saw I Share”. Whatever I’ve seen, the happiness I’ve experienced, I want to share with everyone…I try to convey what I see in my own language and my language is lines. In simple lines I try to capture everything.

So the show is called “I Saw I Share”. Is everything you have painted of things that you have physically seen or are some of them things that you imagine in your head?

Over the years I have witnessed many dance programs and performances, and at that time I take photographs of performers. Or I even record videos. Then I refer to these pictures and images and I capture them in my own language. My paintings are not a typical copy of the image, but I use references as inspiration.

How did you get started as an artist? Why art?

When I was in about 8^th standard in school, my principal told my father that better than at my studies, I was a pure artist. He told me to concentrate on art and to attend an art school. So that’s why I went to Arts College. In high school I struggled with studies and wanted to prove something. Since I loved art, I tried to do something with it and I think I did it!

You have definitely done some amazing work!

Can you tell us how long it takes to complete a painting or even a whole collection?

For this series, this particular show, I took about two years for the complete collection. For me, some acrylic works on the canvas can take 3 to 4 weeks to complete. For some of the smaller works, the paper works, it’s a lot shorter, but I like to say that they take 24 years. I say this because even though I can draw with much speed, it took 24 years of practice to be able to do that.

What is your biggest inspiration when it comes to your art?

For me, my ideas, my thoughts, my imagination. I try to convey everything in simple simple format, which is through my lines. Through my lines I want to convey and I want to capture. That’s why everywhere I go, everyone I look at, I try and I can imagine a complete line drawing. Even the way you are sitting, I can imagine your leg crossed over the other leg, and you arm resting on your knee. I can see it all in lines. I want to do this till the end. I want to capture everything I see in life with my lines. Everything depends on the lines.

So what is your next step? What can we expect from Mark Rathinaraj in the near future?

My plan it to continue my journey and keep sharing my observations, thoughts, stories and people who inspire me and add more meaning to the world we live in.  So far it has been a beautiful journey so I believe that the joy should be spread.

I just want to keep experimenting and see where that leads me. Art lovers like Mr. Santhana and his friends and family, who support my work and me, surround me.  All I can do now is keep experimenting and trying new things and hope that people love it. If that all works out, then it’s a dream come true.  

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