Rohaan Gopinath research on

Rajkumar Sthabathy’s
Artworks and his life
I appreciate hyper realistic artworks but I am never really fascinated
by them because it’s just a reinterpretation of the what you see. When
first searched up his artworks, I was very much absorbed by it. I chose
Rajkumar Sthabathy for my research because his artworks so realistic
yet abstract and surreal. Most abstract portrait artists capture the
expression of whom so ever they are drawing but I’ve seen someone
captures the soul, expression and form. Most importantly none of the
features of the faces are exaggerated. As I researched more of him I
started appreciating his artworks even more. I was extremely astonished
when I acknowledged that none of the white spaces in his artworks have
white in it! He paints it without any masking ink. It doesn't sound
believable because in most of his portraits I can see every strand hair
from ears to head. He adds so much these details with the most
difficult medium known to man but then the dripping paint and
watercolour blots all over the canvas.

He began his career in 1986, he drew black and white photographs for
Rs.25.30. His first guru was his father T.A Rajan Achari He was a
master at carpentry. He was the one who taught him the basic
fundamentals of art like light and shade.

In 1993, he went to Kumbakonam Arts Colleges. He was very much

fascinated about an water colour artist, N.S Manoharan. In his last
year in college was taught by another artist Rangarajan. He says he is
very blessed to have such marvellous teachers. In his college days even
when he did most of artwork on surrealism and cubism they where only
based
of peoples faces. He was very fascinated about the works of M.F.
Hussain, Van Gough and K. M. Adimoolam.

He has been painting faces for 30 years and he’s eager to draw more. He
argues he can’t stop because each painting inspired him to do another
one. He focuses more on the emotion each person is conveying rather
than how they look. Without the expression a character every face looks
the same to him. He argues one the people in his paintings may be god.
He considers his signature a part of the painting. He always starts
with dark colours starting with the eyes ans so on.

He started creating paintings of portraits which he was best at doing

rather than painting about whatever is trending in the art market and
because of that, his paintings were unique. His paintings were very
distinguishable from other artists. His water colour portraits became
well known throughout the world.

He believes that every stroke he makes has the same weight as a

songwriter would compose notes. He says watercolouring is drug to him.
He start with dark colours when beginning any painting. He believes
that the white spaces in his canvas is similar to silences that follows
inbetween a song. He wonders if could transfer the emotions conveyed by
Illayaraja through his paintings.

He says “The flowing colours, the natural white spaces between them,
the lone strokes hanging around-there is no anxiety in me that a water
colour painting couldn't be corrected. I don’t make a effort to make a
realistic painting. Because my works are not just portraits, they are a
work of abstract. He claims “Understanding me is impossible except when
I flow spontaneously paint as I flow like water…maybe called The Water
Colour!!!”