The Meaning of Life

Ranjith Raghupathy's work reflects his fascination for the human situation and what he tries to achieve in all his works is a demystification of reality and established icons 

magine growing up with an artist mother or father. Watching them create art or making work together could spark your artistic passion. And, influenced and inspired by your parents’ creativity, there’s a good chance you grow up to become an artist. Historically, there are some famous, artistic families whose children seemed destined to become artists themselves. Even today, there are many contemporary artists whose children have decided to pursue the dream of becoming an artist as well.

The Raghupathy family from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, for instance, has produced three generations of artists: Kerala-based O.V. Achari was an eminent sculptor and painter, who got the Kala Ratna award for his artistic skills from the Maharaja of Travancore in 1964. His son, V. M. Raghupathy, was also a renowned portrait artist. Now his son, Ranjith Raghupathy (b. 1974) has also found his niche in painting. Like the Rahupathys, several families make up the list. The amount of artistic talent that often spans generations has caused many researchers to wonder if there isn’t something heritable about creativity.

But that’s the subject for another day. Today, we focus on Pune-based Ranjith Raghupathy. “My passion for art began at a very young age and just after finishing my education in art, I began experimenting with diverse styles in painting…an intense search to find my flair in creating figures and blending colours. ‘Red’, my first show, was a series and experimentation with different shades of red as I was in love with the colour,” says Raghupathy, who did his Diploma in Fine Arts (Painting) from Kerala University. “The experiment was figurative as well as abstract, using vermillion, scarlet, crimson, and maroon, which indeed I felt were very deep and vibrant to express my thoughts.