Inspiration is a necessity for artists and most of them are inspired by other artists. But for SAV Elaiyaraja, a third-generation artist from Chennai, inspiration comes in the form of common people and their everyday activities. Kids playing in the sun, a young girl worshipping at a temple, a milkman delivering milk, a boy playing with a wheel and so on.

“Each artist has his own way of narrating stories and mine is by capturing a slice of daily life. Though we come across most of these activities on a daily basis, they reveal a great story to us. Viewers can connect and relate to it — they are realistic,” says the artist.

  

Coming from a family of art lovers, Elaiyaraja’s proficiency lies in paying attention to simple details. “My elder brother Elanchezian is a realistic painter and sculptor. I used to assist him at his studio in Mylapore and he inspired me to take up art,” says Elaiyaraja.

He has exhibited his paintings in various cities across the country. Though he has trained in all mediums, the artist prefers watercolour paintings because of its complex nature.

“Watercolour helps in bringing out the minute details like the saree folding, facial expression, and emotions of a person. I travel to various places in Tamil Nadu with my younger brother Elaiyabarathy. Though we carry the art materials with us while travelling, sometimes, it’s not possible to sketch. So, I capture impressive pictures on my camera and later, I paint those images,” explains the artist.

Elaiyaraja has no plans to change his subjects and sceneries. Right from the beginning of his career, he started featuring ordinary people. “Many have suggested me to try something else apart from focussing on common people. Why should I change my style? These people are not shy or embarrassed about their life or profession and that’s the beauty of it. Moreover, paintings are one of the best ways of documenting the rural lifestyle. I don’t think the new generation of kids is aware of the beautiful life people lead in villages. I hope, in the future, they can refer to my paintings and understand the village life,” he says.