My Profile: I'm Elijah John Mathew, a Chennai-based artist, social entrepreneur, vegan baker, and graphic designer. Thank you for your interest in learning more about me. I hope you like my artwork as much as I do.
My artistic approach is realism mostly into nature, and I specialize in glass paintings, wall paintings, table-top painting with/without cartoon characters, oil paintings, canvas acrylic painting, book cover designs, handicrafts, calligraphy, and other creative mediums. Graphite pencils, colour pencils, poster colours, water colour, pastels, and acrylic on handcrafted papers & canvas. Greeting cards are my favoured mediums. From fine watercolour glazes to thick 'impasto' paint applied freely to canvas and handmade paper, my work has evolved.
Since I was a child, I've always had a fascination for pencil portraits, art & craft, handicraft, and drawing. Realistic nature, wood carving, wall painting, murals, sand art, paper crafts, are a few of my favourite subjects to illustrate. During my school years, I began creating art and participated in many art exhibitions and workshops. Following graduation, I studied graphic design at the Basel School of Design in Switzerland, where I specialized in painting and received certification in glass design from Celene, SA, France.
I have created a variety of art forms, some of which I have given to friends and others of which I have sold. I also teach art and craft classes to students who are self-motivated in the arts and to people who are less fortunate. My students included indigenous youngsters from Kanavu School in Wayanad and other schools, as well as students from the Kitex Institute of Fashion Technology in Cochin. I've made over 1,000 works of art using a variety of media.
I am inspired by a variety of things, and it's lovely to portray imagery from fairy tales, nature, enchantment, and beauty that captivated me as a child. I decided to paint or draw and follow my heart's desires. When people are moved by my art, it touches me personally. I'm grateful to all of my followers that follow and support my work, as well as all of my fellow artists, for their support and encouragement.
I'm trying to strike a balance between thick and thin paint, intentionally placed and random marks. Some markings are created fast in order to achieve the desired tempo and assault, as well as the desired shape. Some people think about making a mark for a long time before making it. It's a balance of what I see and what I feel, a push and pull between representation and abstraction. I prefer to take chances with my paintings until the very end.
I was one of 54 artists in India who raised funds for tsunami-affected families in Nagapattinam and Karaikal by selling paintings. By auctioning my paintings, I was able to raise INR 3,50,000 for the Tsunami victims. I've painted in a variety of churches, hotels, restaurants, and private residences.
I have formed a partnership firm during covid 2020, we started "Thalir-LEED", (SHG) a self -help group which is a fair-trade handicraft company that creates, and markets handcrafted products made of recycled products to provide a livelihood to less fortunate people. I sell my paintings and donate the proceeds to a non-profit organization. "The New LEED" is an NGO based in Perungudi, Chennai, India, that works in the field of education for underprivileged and economically disadvantaged people. You can contact us if you would like to contribute at our website www.leed.in
Auxilium College, Vellore; Loyola College, Rajalakshmi Engineering College – SIFE, Thandalam, Chennai; Stella Maris College, Chennai; International Institute of Knowledge Managements, Chennai; and various other organizations have invited me as a Chief Guest to share my knowledge on Social Entrepreneurship, NGO, and the use of waste products in handicrafts on a regular basis. Often, I have been a judge for the competitions at "The Indian Maritime University," Uthandi, on Marine Environment Safety.
I've won a few art awards over the years, and my work has been exhibited at the Lalit Kala Academy in Chennai, India. I have a fantastic time making drawings and paintings for book covers, pencil portraits, glass paintings, and realistic nature paintings for clients. Collectors in India and worldwide have purchased my paintings.
Thank you for stopping by to look at my sketches and paintings. If you have any questions about my artwork, or if you'd like to engage me for a project, please contact me at www.elijah.in. For additional information on my art, commissions, and licensing, please visit my gallery website.
As a committed painter, I want to empower my community's underprivileged people by using my art for good. Helping them offers single mothers find a solution. I've always wanted to donate the proceeds from the sale of my artwork. Being an artist, social entrepreneur, and I want to develop this NGO - "The New LEED" and SHG- "Thalir-LEED". It would be in the best interests of preserving the spirit and character of kids to concentrate on the growth of priceless kids at the appropriate age by giving and molding them through training after school by offering extra coaching in things like computers, karate, storytelling, arts and crafts, etc.
We are looking to serve more families and children and expand the number of artists who like to participate and teach. We have a reason to smile and to experience compassion and outreach from their community.
My works:
