A P Santhanaraj
About Artist
(1932 - 2009) | Tiruvannamalai
One of the most defining aspects of AP Santhanaraj's works is the quality of line. It is this fundamental element that sets apart the artist's style. He uses this element without any inhibitions, exploring it endlessly and creating a unique visual language. As the artist says, " I am hungry about painting. What comes out of it, I don't know. All my intentions are not to accept a preconceived form. Circumstances force me to accept a particular form.”
It is also interesting to note that the artist, while painting, discards the accepted mode of placing the canvas vertically in front and lays it out flat on the ground and works on it from all angles. The work process also gives an inkling of the artist’s unconventional, uninhibited thinking process. The same tendency is also reflected in the manner in which Santhanaraj handles colour, which is the other source of inspiration. Color not with its emotive quality but rather the atmosphere it exudes. The artist in his paintings exploits the most fundamental elements to express his thoughts.
Santhanaraj studied at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Chennai and then went to teach at the same institute; finally, he retired in 1990 as the principal of the same institute.
The artist passed away at Chitlapakkam, near Tambaram, in May 2009.
