Vineesh Vijayan: The Young Man Who Chased Down The Sculptor In Him

Roji Satheesh, Manjeri

(An Indian-Keralite writer from Manjeri settled at Ernakulam and a resident of Dubai, UAE.)

A Walk Into The Space Of An Artist…

Vineesh Vijayan, a self-made artist from Chennai, inspires people through his art of sculpting. He enjoys the freedom in creating figurative representations. He lets the freedom to be contagious with his viewers. The artist is adept in evoking a dramatic space between his creation and the audience and let the viewers eye follow the path he created. He then provides the freedom to the viewers to build their level of story into the carved sculpture. The sculptor gives, the viewer takes it from him to create his universe of thoughts. The beauty of his art immediately puts one in silent conversation with it.

Isn’t it incredible to know this artist who creates meaningful statements through statues, shedding light into our unexplored world of thought and let our imagination and desires fly high?

Artist-Vineesh started sculpting at the age of four! As a small boy, he built his toys to play. Mud, clay, sand, stones, straws, wood, any raw / waste materials ushered life through the magical sculpting skills of Vineesh. Though a sculptor by profession, his artistic skills thrive through different avenues. A multidimensional artist and a native of Quilon, he is currently settled at Chennai. The sculptor works for local, national and international commissioned projects and self-productions. He works from his studio, Vneesh Galerie Sculpture Studio at Krishna Nagar 7th Street, Palavakkam, Chennai and launched his Foundry for metal casting works in 2018 to cater his clients need most effectively.

Sculptor: Experimenting Realism With Passion

Vineesh is passionate about bringing realism in sculpting. He experiments with hyperrealism in his portrayals. Holy scriptures, traditional music/songs, dance, dancers, spiritualism, devotion, celebrities, spiritual personalities, all have played its part in sculpting this blessed homo sapien. This whole Bhramandam (Universe) is an object of inspiration for this multitalented artist to create his visual tempos.

Artist Persona: Patience & Family ties

Beware of this sculptor! He might make a statue out of you! The best part of Vineesh: his tolerant nature as an artist. Do look at the wholeness of Vineesh. You will find patience crowned at the tip, and the base, how fondly he holds his family close to his heart. He clasps all his staff and friends as a part of his family.

Vineesh owes much to his family and friends who are pillars of support in encouraging him to do what he loves. His wife Avani Jayadevan, an expert Indian classical dancer and her family also join in the endeavour of supporting this Almighty-blessed artist in creating and recreating life in lifeless objects on this planet. Through a short period, Vineesh has earned a large crowd of well-wishers through his simplicity and realistic sculptures.

Renaissance Man: The Multitalented Artist

It is true that as a sculptor, he weaves “life” and “realism” into the inanimate materials before him. To fix himself as a Sculptor, he had to go a merry-go around through various artistic avenues. A flash visit to those avenues is a must to identify this man.

Vineesh, a fine artist took the art of drawing very seriously. His drawing works expressed artistic intentions proving the trove of talent he carries and his eye for beauty in everything around him.

He has to his credit, drawing portraits of A.R Rehman, the world’s most prolific musician of the time! Vineesh drew three portrayals of the legend encasing the musician’s childhood, adulthood and also his future outlook visualising the musician through his future.

Vineesh started his career as a stop motion animator. He vividly sets the reel of life-filled stories into his characters. His animating puppets for a Tamil film song in “Vanakkam Chennai” received great appreciation from the crowd. Another feather in the cap!

Vineesh owes much to Mr Praveen Chrispugg, the Founder and Creative Director of IDEAHEAVENS, Chennai under whom he worked as an animation director. Mr Chrispugg gave him opportunities to advance in his career. It is so true that the Universe sends the right people in one’s life to uplift them to their next level.

As an art director, he sprinkles life into the settings and the characters with realistic make-up and artwork. He articulates the artistic vision of the team to be represented most creatively and innovatively bringing in the team’s concept to full-life. Vineesh is enthusiastic and focussed about every sector of the art he steps in!

His admiration of music led him to the musical band, ERA 7, joining hands with 7 of his best buddies who were his classmates too. The band released contributing thought-provoking music-albums- Distinct and Namasthe for music lovers. Vineesh, the musical enthusiast shot the visuals for the music album Mrithyumhayam deploying all of his art directorial skills.

Vineesh as a film director, he infuses life into the rhythm of the story he wants to unfold. This young man is like a seed of the sun, blazing with determination and conviction. He effortlessly directed his first short film titled PEGASUS (Flying High On Desires) and proved himself a film director too. Tamil actor and director Shri Chinni Jayanth went on to remark that Vineesh, by directing the short movie immediately after completion of film making studies just proved his mettle akin to the world-famous director, Mani Ratnam.

His first film, Pegasus, revealed a beautiful message: “When life brings a person to an edge he will have to confront the two choices before him: Either to go back to the mundane life or to leap forward accepting the risk of the unknown before him.” Both choices indeed have death and luck inherent in them. Going back to mundane life which does not excite is death in itself. The luck part is to continue living in the comfort zone that does not call for any adventure. To leap forward without any clue of what is awaiting one may also end up in death. However, there is a charm in the second choice. The plunge may help one land safely on that life one always wanted to live. It will make one feel abundant about oneself because he trusted “life”.

A teacher and consultant in digital media studies, he imparts his acquired knowledge to the aspirants who approach him to learn the subject. He also conducts workshops on sculpting. He firmly believes teaching is a noble profession where one holds the hand of the students through their journey to help them see themselves through the mirror of the teacher standing before them. The signature word Vineesh likes to pamper is “Life” for there is nothing that is livelier than life itself which presents us with varied opportunities.

Soulful Sculptor without a Godfather: Finding His Ikigai

Despite thriving through various artistic arenas, Vineesh felt something missing, and so he kept on figuring out to find his ikigai ( A combination of Japanese words “iki” means “life” and gai is “to find your purpose or value in life”) His search led him to the Government College of Fine Arts, Egmore, Tamil Nadu, earning a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts majoring in Sculpting taking the art form seriously. Thus, through the Art of Learning Sculpting, he found a reason for being. He found himself!

Though Vineesh proved his versatility in varied fields of art, he realized that it is sculpting that gave him soulful contentment. All other spheres he worked at made him feel fragmentary. It helped him find the art in everything. In all his daily chores, he recognized the art of something. He was indeed carving a path of self-inquiry and self-exploration through all the avenues he worked only to find that it was SCULPTING that made him whole. It was a MOMENT of TRANSFORMATION! He consciously discovered what he loved to do as an artist and what the world would receive from his mission. It was like coming to be alive in all sense.

On completion of his bachelors in sculpting, he experimented with all kinds of raw materials.

He read a wide range of books on the subject and experimented with his ideas. There were times when all his hard work did not bloom any expected results. Still, the boy kept on dreaming and working on his ideas. Well, life was gradually shaping this SCULPTOR across time, faith and patience.

Vineesh travelled around India to find the right raw materials for his creations. With no godfather of his own in sculpting, he walked miles to find materials to make his figurine statements. The search consumed a large portion of his time, labour and money. The journey was rough, but he acquired sufficient sense of himself when he found the ikigai of his choice. His belief in himself and his journey helped him become the person he was seeking to be.

I salute this young man for his consistent and persistent approach, the twin brothers, we often ignore in our life. I know his chase took long and tested his patience, but it does not matter for he will surely conquer his years back, he invested in his journey to find him.

At this junction, the sacred words quoted in the Bible and Quran echoes into my ears: -

(NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION) JOEL 2:25

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm — my great army that I sent among you.”

SURAH AL- FUSSILAT41: AYAT 35

-But no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint-no one is granted to save those who are truly fortunate.

Blessed by the Almighty, today, Vineesh Vijayan is a FULL-TIME SCULPTOR using all what he learnt from various fields into the art of creative sculpturing. It took a few years to chase down the sculptor in him. Nevertheless, he is content with all the years he spent in hunting and finding himself. His intuition, confidence and his skills are the three primary gurus. This artist basks in the blessings of the mentioned trimurtis. What else does one need to pioneer in his field?

Junior Bhrama: Following The Dharma Of Creation

Lord Bhrama seated on a lotus that outsprung from the naval of Lord Vishnu is known as the creator of this universe. He comprehends and creates. The row of sculpted idols carved by Vineesh, starting at a tender age and his sculpturing skills as it evolved through the unending tunnel of time until now, proves the innovative and creative artist lively within this young man. Looking at his creations, it is no surprise if one whispers that this boy is a Junior Bhrama!

His sculptures are real poems through time, emotions, mind and space trying to bring beauty to this world. Vineesh is enjoying his dharma of creating and is willing to meet all the challenges it takes to set the wheels of his dharma moving along the chosen path. He believes that sculpturing is his prescribed duty.

The holy words from the Bhagavad Gita Verse Ch3: 35 twinkles before my eyes: -

śhreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt swa-dharme nidhanaṁ śhreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ

Translation: One should act according to one’s own nature or prescribed duty(dharma). Even if this appears faulty, this is better than doing something unnatural. It is better to die engaged in duties that are according to our nature because unnatural work only brings evil and danger.

Stroke of Genius: The Confident Aspirant

When one has to echo about the achievements of this talent, one should meet the confident young boy in Vineesh who presented his solo exhibition of all his sculpted arts at the age of 17. His talent and skills always earned him many accolades in all the institutions he stepped into study and work.

His school received a token of gratitude from Vineesh Vijayan, the intellectual, it created. The school has preserved the human anatomy structure by Vineesh for the student community. By contributing to the school, he taught us a simple but profound lesson. “Nobody becomes somebody just like that. There are millions of things living and non-living, visible and non-visible, working along and behind the scenes, to make a person destined to become what he is born for on this earth. One should be grateful to the school that served the first brick for him to step into this magnificent universe.”

Experimentalist: Blending Style, Music and Sound

Diving into the depth of the music world, Vineesh built an extraordinary musical sculpture, the Woodswara, a unique contemporary artwork modelled in par with the human DNA form. The artist blended music and biology. It fetched him a merit award in 2013.

The woodswara is a distinctive musical sculpture which gave Vineesh to experiment with sound sculptures. The woodswara sound sculpture renders 22 sruthis in music with a unique style. The chemistry of sound and style fetched him moments of endless joy. It was a contribution to the society when the physics of the sounds of nature influenced this incredible artist.

Influential Artist: Contributions To The Society

Vineesh is an influential artist by all means. His sculpted idols have not only found a way to homes, offices, galleries, but also in temples. The Devi temple at Kanyarkavu has the deity of the Kanyarkavu Goddess created by Vineesh at the entrance of the temple welcoming the devotees blissfully to her abode.

He has also sculpted Lord Hanuman, Radhe Krishna, Meera Krishna, Sree Krishna, Mona Lisa, spiritual celebrities: A.C Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupada, Shirdi Sai Baba, H.H. Shri Vidyamana Tirtha Swamiji, political figures too passed through the fingertips of Vineesh. Late, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr Karunanidhi was a masterpiece creation from the artist in this genre of political figures. The above mentioned are just a few of his frozen figurines.

Explorer: Freezing The Divinity of Dance Movements

Vineesh likes to challenge the dynamics of his patience. Sculpting dancers in dance poses is a tremendous task. It is a yoga and a sadhana evoking pure bliss of joy to capture this traditional art form in creating the accurate rasa (emotion). He enjoys pursuing the beauty of human expressions and movements in the dance art form. To engrave a dancer in rhythm means sculpting the worshipper invoking the divine within her. It is to praise the Divinity that is playing the Leela through her.

Vineesh’s exploration into the traditional Indian dance forms, dance poses, mudras and the emotions the artform exposes led him into sculpting a few dancers captured in rhythmic movements and gestures. He has contributed dance sculptures towards a documentary as well.

Family Man: Choosing the Ancestral Path

When the young man in the present hyper-technical world chose his ancestral path about his career, he was proving himself that he values the soul within him seeking to be known. He did not chase the world. He chased himself. His ancestors might have chosen to stand alongside blessing him from the heavens for his lion-courage in holding the traditional work as his life purpose. If so, then this man achieved the priceless virtue from paradise!

Emerging Brand: Book Your Experience with Vineesh Vijayan, Chennai

Vineesh is currently engaged in commissioned works and self-production series capturing the vivid extracts of life. His series titled “Shree Krishna Series” is progressing with the second one, the NARTHANA KRISHNA, in the series, already unveiled to the public for exhibition and sale.

If you are looking for a realistic, soulful and poignant experience through still models and want to own one, Vineesh Vijayan is a brand name in the market. When you ever receive a masterpiece, you understand that it is a life-lasting soulful experience you had booked through Vineesh. He is the master creator behind the work letting his artwork whisper to you in volumes. You will cherish by all means getting in touch with this “Junior Bhrama”.

The Way Less Traversed: Finis Coronat Opus

As I traverse through the pathway crossed by Vineesh Vijayan, I cannot resist thinking the meaningful lines of the Poem, the last three lines of The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Vineesh had two pathways before him. One road would have taken him to the stereotype jobs of the era while the other offered him the ancestral work. He chose the second road less travelled. All his recognition and happiness came from that road he stepped in with his heart. The end crowns the work (finis Coronat opus).

I wish Vineesh Vijayan all glory in his current and upcoming projects. It is a life-transforming moment for me personally to look into the soul of Vineesh Vijayan, and see the holy spirit leading him with authority into the secrets of the art of sculpting, and enhancing his overall development as an artist and a human being.

I join my palms to say NAMASTHE to the GREAT CREATOR working through Vineesh who has an unbridled passion towards his work with an IRON WILLPOWER. Vineesh Vijayan is indeed a distinct gem! May his story inspire you to take ‘that one step’ you always wanted to take in life but compromised for various reasons.

Chase your ikigai if you have not found one yet. THE TIME IS NOW!