‘Man’ On a Mission

“I want my work to be exclusive”, Mr Subramanian (better known as ‘Man’), a passionate creative director, told the EWRF editorial. The once Tamil School boy from Dusun Durian Estate, Subramaniam has now established himself as a successful art director. “I owe a lot to my Tamil school teacher, Mr. Palaniandi, for bringing out my hidden talent in art and also to the people of my estate for encouraging me to put my talent to good use”.

After completing Form Five, Subramaniam came to Kuala Lumpur in search of a better future. “I did not get much pay with my 1st job, but that did not stop me from establishing my career in the field of art”, he said. After working in several local and international design and advertising agencies as a senior art director and later, on a free lance basis, he wanted to make a mark for himself as a competent art director. From the conventional paintings to airbrush pieces, from hand drawn designs to computerised graphic designing, Subramanian has become a master of his trade. And now, he is seeing new opportunities in ceramic art.

“Malaysia is a country with people from different cultures and heritage. I consider that as a gift as I am able to derive motifs for my designs from the various communities” said Subramaniam .Since he wants to keep his work exclusive; he goes for one off designs as he does not want his work to look ordinary. “There are so many imported ceramic decorative items in the market, but I want mine to stand out from the rest. I want to reach out to all the communities and give my customers items which will be of their money’s worth”, Subramaniam added with conviction. He is now working on creating his own line of exclusive ceramic decorative creations under the proposed brand name, ‘ClayTherm’.

This successful artist does not only think about diversifying his work, but also about helping the Indian community that he feels so part of. “I want Indians regardless of whatever age or background, to come forward to acquire knowledge from this field I am in. Parents and teachers must help identify and guide students with potential and interest to explore the different careers involving art”, he explained. Mr Subramaniam has trained a handful of Indians with physical impairments. According to him, apart from textbook knowledge, providing vocational training for students will help them face life more confidently.

“Never be complacent in whatever you do. Persistence and determination can help anyone shine like a diamond”, words of wisdom from a man who never gave up on his desires. He hopes that more Indians would start to think ‘out of the box’. EWRF is confident that the Malaysian Indians today will slowly but surely evolve into a more versatile and enterprising community.

By Siddharthan Palanyandi
Editorial Officer, EWRF