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Raghava
K K - Cartoonist and Painter
Only 20, and he is already a celebrity
cartoonist and painter. Having published his cartoons
in leading newspapers, portals, he is now foraying
into the world of painting. Very recently he had
an exhibition along with Milind Nayak
for the Spastic Society of Karnataka. The
exhibition was a total sell out, with 34 out of
his 37 paintings getting sold. He even had some
women fighting over his paintings. Don't blame them.
This is the best opportunity to get his paintings
before they get really famous!
He has traveled the world, sold his works on the
pavements of Milan and shared words with the rich
and famous. He also is an entrepreneur! Runs a cartooning
academy along with his mom called Lee 'N' Rags
Cartoon Academy. And the feather in the cap
is his ability to communicate to audiences.
Describe
yourself as an artist…
I get kicks out of small things! They have the capacity
to excite me, to move me. And I am able to express
them visually.
How
did you start…
Painting started with my introduction to Milind
Nayak in September 1999. Getting to know
Milind was the best thing that ever happened to
me. He introduced me to painting, taught me how
to paint and got me started. I couldn't paint for
nuts before. My domain was with lines and to paint
was really difficult. Anyway I showed Milind a painting
I had done. That was enough. He told me that I would
be a painter. The very next day he asked me to come
over to his place. And I went. He had all his best,
brand new colours, the best of his canvases out.
He said 'Spoil the canvases. Fill them up with
colour. Don't leave any paint behind.' I did
exactly that. After that there was no turning back.
Overnight I had turned into a painter. Within a
week I had finished 20 paintings.
Here I have to add that Milind has been my guru,
mentor and guide. He has taught me so many things.
Encouraged me in everything. There have been times
when he has said that I paint his paintings better
than himself. Now which guru would ever say that?
Not that it is true, but it can really push one
towards excellence.
Cartooning started in school. Everybody was very
supportive. Right from my teachers to my parents.
Especially my parents. They have been with me throughout.
Then I started winning inter-school competitions.
That was because I took cartooning seriously unlike
the others. The first of my caricatures to
have been published is that of Rabri Devi as a puppet
in the hands of Laloo Prasad Yadav in the Asian
Age. Now I run a cartooning academy called the
Lee 'N' Rags Cartooning Academy along with my mum.
Travels…
I have visited about 40 cities in America,
Europe and Australia. Very recently I toured
Europe. Actually it all started with the Asta
Convention, France where I represented India.
I met a lot of important people there… from John
Major (ex-British Prime Minister), Celine Dion...
all those famous people. It was great fun. Suddenly
I knew all these important people and I knew these
contacts would be very helpful. Most of them had
invited me to come over to their place while visiting
their country. So off I went with a backpack, loafing
and roaming the cities of Europe. Toured Belgium,
France, Germany, Italy and Austria.
And
what did you do there…
I did lots of things. Set up shop on the pavements,
selling my work. It also helped in a kind of
a market survey. Now I know what kind of art sells
in which city. Had dinner in the houses of the ambassadors
and the people who had invited me over. On the whole
it was a great learning and fun experience.
Exhibitions
abroad…
So
far I have had three exhibitions abroad… in Rome,
Washington and Paris. The response was very
good and we had Sharmila Tagore inaugurate the exhibition
in Paris.
How
do you market your work?
Every day from 9:30 am to 4 pm, I work in my office
handling all my PR work. Office is a cabin next
to my father's. Besides, my target audience is the
event managers, corporates (who come asking to assist
in the seminars. Recently I did a seminar for IBM),
school children (asking to design t-shirts), advertising
agencies and web sites. My clients can be anybody
who wants to have my art.
I also conduct Cartooning Workshops. So far
there are four types of workshops that I conduct.
The workshops have been designed and formulated
by me.
1. Cartoon Awareness
2. Translation of idea into cartooning and idea
stimulation
3. Stress Busting
4. Cartoons as a form of mass communication
Any
recurring symbolism in your art…
Usually the people who touch me or love me a lot.
In most of my paintings you can find my adopted
sisters, Phalguni and Shebani. I have made
several of their portraits.
You
get your supplies from…
Most often from America or Paris. In India, it definitely
is from Bhaskar R. Anybody into art would
get their supplies from there. For cartooning I
use the Pebo series of ink, and for painting, I
use the Cuttman water colours and paper.
You
enjoy doing art for…
Multinationals - they are very good and very professional.
The other person is Ingrid Alburquerque.
She too is very professional. Any
cartoonist and painter you like…
Bill Waterson…he's god, and Manjula Padmanabhan.
She is not very well known but she is very good.
Painters I like are Milind (I love his colours)and
Manet.
Twenty
years from now…
I don't know…perhaps be surrounded by children (not
necessarily mine!), lots of dogs…then traveling.
Also intend to make my cartoon academy really big.
Upcoming
events…
In December, a painting exhibition with Kada (dealers
in antiques).
Favourite
hangouts…
Koshy's, Casa Picola, Coffee Day. But more than
anything I like to buy 'kutty, kutty' things from
the bakery and go on a picnic.
4:30:33 AM 
Describe
yourself as an artist… 
So
far I have had three exhibitions abroad… in Rome,
Washington and Paris. The response was very
good and we had Sharmila Tagore inaugurate the exhibition
in Paris.
