This Malayali Artist Is Creating Unique & Subversive Work

Practicing the art of sarcasm with the skill of an aged yogi, Pavi Sankar, a Kerala based digital artist who goes by the username of Sarcasanam passes social commentary and re-imagines familiar Malayali motifs with ample amount of dry wit and creative flair. In preparation for my interview with the artist, I scroll through his Instagram feed and read his previous interviews. In every artwork that he has published, there are two dichotomous factors that stands out to me – relatability and uniqueness. Through each of his work, he paints a picture of himself and yet continues to strike a chord with many of his 43,000 (and growing) followers on Instagram.

Questioning gender norms by donning feminine attire to sexualizing some of the favourite Malayalam cartoon characters that most Malayalis grew up with, Pavi Sankar continues to shock and awe his followers. While his artworks are spectacular owing to his skill and conceptualization, the truth bombs that Pavi often drops is another aspect that has raised his popularity. While one might expect him to say that it came naturally to him, the artist was open with his candor, saying that the works he creates are the result of careful observation from his part on what appeals to people - a social (media) experiment in it’s own right.

From Protest Art to Pop Art Movie Posters

When the conversation shifts to the topic of his disruptive art works that have made him a renowned contemporary digital artist, Pavi Sankar fesses up to the fact that the styles are not as organic as one would believe. From hard-to-stomach political satire to explorations with sexuality and nudity, there are several categories that he says “works” for his audience which he found through a method of trial and error. While his earliest memory of creating a piece of art was the clichéd images of pretty sceneries and tender portraits, his true evolution started two years ago, owing to the end of an intense romantic relationship.

In memory of his love for this woman, or as a ploy to bring her back, the verdict he says is still out on it, he started painting moments of their, real or imagined, carnal love. The hints of darkness that these images stemmed from, struck a chord with many of his readers and he knew he had found one demographic of his audience. As a universal emotion, love and the act of it, continues to be one of the prominent themes in his art works. He often does nude figure artworks with great depth and detail that is always met with a mixture of appreciation and shock.

As someone who was expressive of his ideas and ideologies, Pavi initially tried his hand at live painting at protests that he felt stood for worthy causes. While they did provide him a platform that could showcase his works, he soon grew tired of the incessant agenda pushing that comes with local politics. But his commentaries on political scenarios had found place in the heart of many of his followers and he continues to experiment with this field through his social media page. Through light hearted critique of restrictive religious conventions to satirical takes on current socio-political scenarios, Pavi Sankar continues to express these thoughts through his social media platforms.

Nurturing his love for regional as well as world cinema, Pavi often marries Malayalam movie characters with western motifs and vice versa to create unique artworks. Whether it is Heath Ledger’s Joker wearing Kathakali face makeup or an image of Sathyan Master in the seminal classic Chemeen that captures all his timeless swagger. Pavi’s love for visual storytelling extends to comic books as well, as he has done the art for many independent publications, as well as creating many of his own.

Embracing The Beauty Of The Visual Medium

The 27-year-old Fine Arts graduate who hails from Neyyatinkara, a quaint town in the capital district of Trivandrum says that art is still not accepted as a “profession” in his hometown. There was a part of his life after high school when Pavi Sankar succumbed to familial pressure and joined a polytechnic, but he soon realised it wasn’t the right path for him. While he has always harboured the dream of being a watercolor artist and continues to this day, he says it’s an expensive avenue to pursue.

After his graduation he worked for a few companies, but later ended up striking out on his own. During his time with a Kochi based VFX company, he worked on the stunningly beautiful visuals of the Malayalam movie ‘Iyobinte Pusthakam’ and helped bring to recreate World War II era images to 3D quality. He has also worked on the title credits and promotional posters for several popular Malayalam movies. While he continues to do his independent art works, he is currently on the design team for the much anticipated Superhero movie Minnal Murali, the first of its kind in the Malayalam movie industry.

How Challenging Norms Comes With It’s Own Challenges

While Pavi Sankar has made a name for himself in the last two years for his art works, something that he is thankful for, it has also come with its set of challenges. In a nation that is predominantly obstinate, Pavi feels that it is hard to be an artist speaking the harsh truths and expressing creative freedom. His depiction of an older man called Narayan Kutti hanging up his Brazil football jersey that might have bore resemblance to a spiritual leader that was taken down by Instagram and was cause for a case being filed against him, which continues to this day. But that does not stop Pavi from continuing to speak his truth and often chooses himself to be the main subject in many of his artworks. This he says, “makes sure that people understand that I have a stand of my own and they kind of expect that as soon as they are familiar with my work.”

At the end of the day, Pavi Sankar holds steadfast to his artivism, in hopes that his dry wit and honest portrayal of the less than ideal reality of our world, will make people stand up, take notice and join in, in their own way.

You can know more about the artist and his works on his Instagram page.

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