Poospajati Parameshwar Raju brings us Lord Rama and Lord Krishna in a subtle yet captivating way. This is calligraphy at its best. Parameshwar Raju expertly fuses the world of words with the world of images, and captured in his strokes and delicate lines, the Ramayana seems to transcend both worlds. His series on World Faiths closely brings together symbols of various faiths, which reminds us that although there may be differences between different faiths, there are also similarities. With just a few strokes in minimalist sign language he manages to portray a wide spectrum of icons and epics in his own distinct oeuvre.
Born in 1961 in Vandrum, Andhra Pradesh, Poosapati Parameshwar Raju spent his childhood
in different Indian cities where his father, an army officer, was posted. A meritorious student, he
received a BFA and an MFA in applied art from the Government School of Art and Babasaheb
Ambedkar Marathwada University respectively, both in Aurangabad, and worked in the
advertising industry for a while before taking to practicing art fulltime. Based on study and
research of Indian iconography and spiritual and ceremonial culture, his work appears in
calligraphic series and motifs in minimal but carefully measured renderings. Themed around
the sacred and the meditative, his notations and iconic graphics traverse both the traditional and
contemporary terrains. Executed with sophistication, using nibs and pens of different sizes, his
simple forms and restrained use of colour bring alive the epics and narratives associated with
different faiths including Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Christianity as well
as numerical designs and yantras.