T. V SUBRAMANIAM: AN ARTIST WHO UNDERSTOOD ART BEYOND THE CONCEPTUAL

Subramaniam is probably a lesser-known name in the field of art, but his paintings capture a sense of the past in a way that’s hard to ignore. In his artworks, he created beautiful evocations of the past — keeping it fresh in people’s memories.

Here we will learn a few things about the life of this brilliant artist.

1. Subramaniam was born on 26th January 1924.

2. Subramaniam also went by the name Maniam. He was a celebrated painter– his illustrations were used in Tamil magazines. His paintings are known for re-creating the past most beautifully.

3. Subramaniam learned to draw from his uncle Lingayyah as a child.

4. He studied at a school in Mylapore, Chennai. He studied art at Chennai’s art school — tutored by K.C.S. Paniker and Devi Prasad Roy Choudhury.

5. His depictions of Bharatanatyam postures won the praise of dancers such as Padma Subrahmanyam.

6. While he was still in college, he met the novelist and editor of Kalki magazine, Kalki Krishnamurthy. In awe of his art, Kalki asked the young artist to leave his studies and work with him.

7. Kalki’s Parthiban Kanavu (1960) had Maniam as art director.

8. With his wife and a team of editors, Maniam explored the renowned monuments of Ajanta and Ellora. He was greatly influenced by the art therein Ajanta and Ellora. He asked his wife and an assistant to pose as models in certain sequences.The brilliant artist Maniam took those pictures for his later paintings.

9. T.S. Loganathan, his only child, also known as Maniam Selvan (1950- ) is a leading illustrator in Tamil magazines.

10. In 1968, Subramaniam passed away leaving a great legacy behind.  

Artists like Maniam, who are not as well known as M F Hussain and whose works have been lost somewhere along the way, deserve to be brought to light — not only for how good they were but also to inspire young artists to explore different dimensions of art.