My journey in art began at home. My late father Koshy Varughese, who was a watercolor artist himself was also a wonderful mentor and it was further sculpted by my late teacher, eminent watercolorist, Arcot Danushkodi.
It was under my father’s guidance, I held my first solo exhibition, “Nature in Water Colors” at Welcome Group Chola Sheraton in 1995, Chennai showcasing works in landscapes, portraits, and vibrant florals. The response from the public and the press was encouraging.
In 1996, my passion for art further took shape at the Institute of Design followed by training in digital art at Arena Multi Media in Chennai.
Under the aegis of Indra Dhanush, my teacher A.V. Dhanushkodi’s art school, I participated in three group exhibitions and won an award for “Outstanding Entry” in one of them.
In 2007, my second solo exhibition “Homage to our Heritage” was held at Gallery Sri Parvati and was inaugurated by Shri Kumar Varma, writer and poet and great grandson of legendary Artist Late Raja Ravi Varma. My exhibition was an outcome of the inspiration from my Gingee fort visit. This series was painted in transparent water colors capturing rock and granite in their ruggedness.
In 2009, following my travels to the Holy Land, I held my third solo exhibition, “Homage to our Holy Land” at Gallery Sri Parvati comprising paintings of important Christian pilgrimage sites in Israel, Jordan and Egypt.
In 2012, my fourth solo show, “Windows and Doors” at Gallery Sri Parvati featured realistic works of historical buildings in water colors and, pen and ink, from my travels to Kolkata, Tiruvannamalai, outskirts of Chennai.
In 2017, my fifth solo art exhibition, “Disappearing Dwellings” comprising heritage sites, spurred by my travels to Egypt, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Pune was held at Lalit Kala Academy, National Academy of Art. The art exhibition was inaugurated by the late professor Alphonso Arul Doss, retired principal of Govt college of Art and Crafts, Chennai.
In September 2017, I had the opportunity to participate in my teacher’s group show, “Rainbow Gold 8” at Lalith Kala Academy, Chennai, along with ten other participants. The show was inaugurated by Lakshmi Venkatraman, Art Writer.
In the same year, I held my sixth solo show “Disappearing Dwellings” at Dakshinchitra Art Gallery, Chennai November 11th to 30th. I am grateful to Dakshinchitra for sponsoring my exhibition. It was also a privilege and a moment of pride when my multi-talented teacher, A.V. Danushkodi, who was also an Art Critic, Actor, Director ,Theatre artist and writer inaugurated my show. It felt that my journey in art had come full-circle.
During my visit to Varanasi India, captivated by the sadhus and their colourful attire, I completed a series in pastels. My art exhibitions have been covered by leading new papers such as The Hindu, Indian Express, and Times of India.
In November 2019, I also participated in Adithya Chari’s workshop, Chennai, which was a study of the human head.
The support and response from the public and the press has been immense. My paintings have found a wide reach from art patrons across the globe including Nairobi Kenya, USA, Canada, Australia, Austria, France and UK. Some of my paintings have been bought by the Indian Bank, MRF, and a few private collectors.
In Jan 2024, I held my seventh solo show “Treasures of India” in water color, pastel, pen and ink, at the Cholamandal Artists’ Village, Chennai which was inaugurated by P. Gopinath, a renowned artist and President of Cholamandal Artists’ Village. My inspiration was drawn from my visits to Varanasi, Delhi, Agra and Kochi.
I am passionate about rendering old and heritage buildings, especially their intricate architecture and design, old doors & windows, street art, landscapes onto my canvas, animals, birds, etc. My mediums include water color, pastels, charcoal, pen, ink and fountain pens.