An illustration by Maniam
“While drawing on paper, how can one differentiate between Aditha Karikalan and Raja Raja? They are all warriors and kings. Their features will be similar. The nuance here lies in changing a nose, an eye. Maniyam was able to do that with ease,” yesteryear actor Shivakumar said at the launch of the book, perfect artist On Maniam, by The Hindu Group on 9 October.
An artist himself, Shivakumar called Maniam one of the greats of Tamil Nadu; Someone who studied his subjects intensely and came close to the world created by Kalki in both Ponniyin Selvan And Sivagamiyin Sabatham With exceptional artistic skills.
Illustrator Maniyam | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Maniam lived only to the age of 44, and created during 28 of those years between 1940 and 1968. perfect artistA coffee table book, divided into four chapters covering many of the short but colorful lives of kings, queens and gods through the pages of dazzling, stunning art.
The reason we are still able to access his extensive repository is because his family has preserved it so well. There was also a question of ensuring that his work was well documented – especially at a time when we think about Ponniyin Selvan,S Nandini, now let us imagine Aishwarya Rai.
Maniam Selven, his son and also an artist, says it was imperative to preserve his legacy as it deserves to be seen by a wider audience around the world. Last year, when he celebrated the artist’s birth centenary, Maniyam Selven and his family put together a Tamil biography of his work along with a retrospective, which was inaugurated by maestro Ilaiyaraaja. He says, “We brought out the big guns. My daughter and I looked through shelves and cabinets to get all kinds of artifacts.” He says, “My father was my silent teacher because he died when I was young. Then I carefully scanned his work to make sure we had digital copies. I learned a lot from his work. He also insisted that I find a style of my own.”
The Complete Artist, a coffee table book documenting Maniam’s legacy Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Over the years, Maniam Selven had purchased many coffee table books of masters in the art world. It felt right to create a composition with his (father’s) work also. After all, he is also a master,” he said.
He worked closely with the team, including curator Geetha Venkataramanan and designer X Joseph Gyan Sathish, for one and a half years to bring out the publication. It was decided that his illustrations, spanning various mediums, would take over the book, with minimal text to ensure that the essence remained intact. Many people who visit Maniam Selven’s house to this day treat it as a museum, and take a deep look at the original objects placed throughout the area. The book also had the intention of mesmerizing people with such art. This is especially so because Maniam’s experiments with brush strokes are clearly visible in the coffee table book, says his son.
Maniam Selven | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“My father worked incorporating many interesting techniques such as airbrushing and line drawing. He was recognized by Kalki when he completed his studies at the Madras College of Arts. He did many interesting projects including art direction and painting Rajaji’s Chakravarthi Thirumagan and Vyasara Virunthu. Beyond just that, providing a holistic picture Ponniyin SelvanThat’s one reason why we brought out this book. It’s good to breathe life back into your work,” he says.
perfect artist It is priced at ₹3,999, and is currently available for ₹2,999 as a launch offer. The book can be ordered at publications.thehindugroup.com/bookstore
published – October 15, 2025 06:32 pm IST