BUILDING BRIDGES

Akshay Varaham gives the Hindu deity Krishna a dark brown hue instead of the usual blue. In an interesting take on gopis and devotion, at either side are love-struck men. It’s not just Krishna, Varaham shows most Indian deities as dark-skinned rather than pale.

He also gives us Bharatanatyam dancers who are short, fat and dark.

“Why should all dancers be petite, demure and fair?” asks the 20-year-old US-based illustrator.

Growing up in Tamil Nadu, a Muslim in a predominantly Hindu neighbourhood, Varaham decided early on that he would draw his own lines. He picked Sufism for its focus on spirituality rather than religious dogma.

And art became one way, he says, “for me to explore the Hindu heritage of my state and bridge the gap between the two faiths”. Also gay, much of his work has an LGBTQ element too. “Art helps me accept myself,” he says. Reactions have been positive. “People tell me the way I portray South Asian bodies, figures and cultures makes them feel more accepted, which is my goal,” he says. “Closeted LGBTQ South Asians, mainly Tamil people, also talk to me about how I helped them feel validated and loved, which is the kind of support I would have liked growing up.”

Through #SouthAsianArtists, Varaham has received a couple more commissions than usual and had commenters asking if they can buy prints of his work online.

“I am already working on making that possible,” he says.

“I also got a job offer for a film-related project. We’re still discussing details, but that’s exciting.”