Originally reported and written in May 2023, this story has been republished as part of our archival content.

It’s not just Vignesh’s tools and techniques that set him apart as an artist. It’s also the medium that makes this Tamil Nadu resident’s art so unique. 

The Mayiladuthurai-born artist’s work employs something remarkable to create stunning artwork — sunlight. In fact, the 32-year-old is being touted as ‘Asia’s First Sunlight Artist’, a feat he says he never saw coming. 

Vignesh’s art — intricate sketches of personalities like Virat Kohli to detailed portraits of families — is as intriguing as the journey that led him towards it. “I didn’t turn to art for money,” he notes as we sit down for our conversation. “I just turned to it to get rid of my negative thoughts, my depression.” 

‘I reached an all-time low’ 

In 2010, Vignesh completed his degree in electronics engineering and began working with a broadband company. For a while, things seemed well, but when he began developing a back pain in 2016, things began taking a turn for the worse. To add to his woes, he lost his mother in the months that followed. 

“I was at a very low point in my life. I headed back to my native place in Tamil Nadu at the time to live with my mother’s sister, thinking it would be a change for me. While I did not think the back pain was major, I should have paid more attention to it, as it got worse with time. Over time, it became so bad that I couldn’t walk more than a few steps. I was devastated, as my job kept me........

© The Better India