Travelling with cosmic forces
Artist Jeganathan Ramachandram leaves behind a legacy of deeply symbolic and spiritual artwork.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY artist Jeganathan Ramachandram, renowned for works steeped in mystical realism, cosmic philosophy and metaphors from Indian culture, died on Feb 23 in Kuala Lumpur.
He was 58. His death was announced in a statement on his Facebook page.
As an artist, symbolic abstraction and deep spirituality had been the Selangor-raised Jeganathan’s way of translating his creativity and innermost expressions for more than 35 years.
Jeganathan, born July 17, 1962, started out as a graphic artist at the New Straits Times newspaper before becoming a full-time artist in 2004.
He also opened his own studio/ gallery space Symbols House of Natural Art in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, where he held art appreciation classes and sound healing sessions.
From his own experience, Jeganathan knew the challenges faced by visual artists from the Malaysian Indian community.
In 2009, the community-based Symbols Art Club was formed under the mentorship of Jeganathan, who actively encouraged budding artists from the Indian community to exhibit their art and allow them to make a name for themselves.
As a young artist, Jeganathan pursued his artistic studies in Chennai and Tirupati in India, starting in 1982. He spent a few years learning under Indian masters, where he specialised in areas of fine arts, traditional Indian painting (Tanjore art), granite sculpturing, wood carving, Indian classical music and Tantric art.
Using an ancient method of dabbing, his paintings told stories about his roots, ideology, and often celebrated Hindu scriptures.
He was also a Manayadi Saastram (Vaastu) practitioner,
Nadha Brahmam sound analyst, author and poet.
Jeganathan’s early solo shows at mainstream galleries in KL include Human Watching at Galeri Petronas in 2009, and Mindwatch The Observer, The Observed at Wei-ling Gallery in 2010.
In experimenting with sound and light, Jeganathan also took his art to new dimensions by creating 3D illumination onto his canvas in a 2014 exhibition called Mirroring The Center - The Science Of Positive Vibrations at the Indian Cultural Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
Instead of producing artworks to embellish the walls, he used them as a healing tool.
“Art is not merely for decorative purposes, but plays a vital part in the balance of life,” he was quoted as saying in an interview with The
Star in July, 2014.
“It is a science that involves the mathematics of lines, the physics of movement and the chemistry of colours,” he added.
In 2017, Jeganathan was a part of the inaugural KL Biennale at the National Art Gallery. He presented an ambitious installation work titled Pendula Nonagon Mind Balance, based on his research on the movement of the pendulum and its connection to sound and colour. This work also featured his sketch drawings and portraits from his travels in north Malaysia.
Through the years, Jeganathan had also exhibited abroad, including the Mumbai Art Festival, India, The Art House, Singapore, Gaya Gallery Bali, Indonesia and La Galleria, Pall Mall in London.