Elayaraja

Elayaraja is a Chennai based artist, whose hyperreal oil paintings hark back to older traditions and are recognisable vignettes of life in rural and urban India. Largely featuring traditionally dressed female subjects in everyday scenarios–mid-action, mid-movement or mid-gaze–his paintings are composed with an exciting play of light and shadow and an inviting array of luxuriant colours. Elayaraja’s mastery over perspective, chiaroscuro, anatomy and foreshortening along with his dynamic compositions create an intimate viewing experience that seems to extend out of the frame, and has led to his work sometimes being mistaken for photographs. Through detail and technical prowess, Elayaraja creates a palpable atmosphere in two dimensions, as if presenting viewers with a window into a moment rather than a representation.