Sketching Meenakshi: Learn to draw temple sculptures and architecture

Sri Kiruthika has always been fascinated by Tamil Nadu’s temple architecture. “I enjoy studying the nuances of our ancient stone sculptures,” says the 29-year-old, who is originally from Tirupur and is now based in Chennai. As a child, she grew up visiting temples in her neighbourhood. “Even today, a weekly temple visit followed by dinner is our weekend family ritual,” says the self-taught artist.

These visits sowed the seed for her artistic style. Kiruthika sketches temples, sculptures, mudras and Hindu deities, capturing the essence of the original in her own style. She is currently organising line drawing workshops for children and adults interested in similar themes. Her upcoming session is titled Meenatchi Digvijayam.

“There are several artists who do precise depictions of temple sculptures as per the rules laid out by Shilpa Shastra [a treatise on art, sculpture, architecture, craftsmanship],” says Kiruthika, adding that her style draws on the human element of these works, one that everyday people can connect with. “I spend time observing these sculptures, their postures and jewellery among other aspects, and depict them in a style that is raw and almost human-like,” she adds. Her latest painting of Goddess Meenakshi, that she posted on her Instagram page Studio Aganilai around the Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple’s Kumbabishekam, came in for a lot of praise.

Kiruthika depicted Meenakshi as a fierce Dravidian warrior wielding a sword. She resembles any other Madurai woman and has a regal air about her. It is this feeling that Kiruthika hopes to evoke with her paintings: that gods and goddesses too can resemble human beings. Kiruthika has dabbled in a lot of styles, from children’s book illustrations and comics, to Government logo designs and brand creatives for corporates.

It was only in January this year that she started focussing on temple sculptures, thanks to the encouragement of her husband and brother. She wants to teach her techniques to the artistically inclined, and also help them identify their own style. “There will come a time when every artist discovers their particular style and will choose to travel down that path,” she says. Kiruthika’s online workshops are for small batches and she also has plans to hold live sessions at parks in Chennai in the coming months.

She is also working out the logistics of a session at the historic Dhadikombu Perumal Temple in Dindigul for a group of five to six participants. “The temple has some stunning sculptures. We will spend time to observe some of them and sketch them live on the spot,” she adds.

The two-day online workshop titled Meenatchi Digvijayam is on October 10 and 11, 3pm to 4pm. It is open to people across ages and is beginner friendly. The fee is ₹899 per person. To register, visit artalltime on Instagram.