An artist who connects with people through postcards

Initially,officials at the Raopura Post Office had thought Chinnam was an advertising agent,for he used to buy postcards in bulk. “But when I showed them what I do with the postcards,they liked the idea,” said the artist.

At some point of time in life,Chinnam wants to hold an exhibition for all those people to whom he sends the postcards.

“These postcards belong to them. When they would come and exchange the postcards among themselves at the exhibition,my goal of connecting with people would be achieved,” he said.

Chinnam,an artist from Kerala,was a student at M S University’s Faculty of Fine Arts when he hit upon the unique idea of taking his sketchbook drawings to postcards.

“I wanted to do away with the concept of sketchbook. A postcard that way is more public,while the sketchbook is concealed unless one decides to open it,” he said.

During his student life,Chinnam had almost managed to do away with the sketchbook by arranging his sketches like the bellows of an accordion,where the viewer does not have to open the sketchbook,as it is already opened. “But with that arrangement,both sides were not visible,as in the case of postcards,” he said.

The only way people could see his work in a succinct form was postcards.

“People mostly use postcards for advertisement purposes or just to send short,quick messages. But I also remember how I used to quickly draw a small animal or a pattern in the empty space of the postcard while writing to my mother,” Chinnam said,who has added an application called ‘cpostcard’ to his Facebook profile and which has enabled everyone to view his work.

For Chinnam,each postcard that he sends is a gift to connect with people,even with those who are not exposed to the modern ways of communication. He adds a date and serial number to every card he sends to keep track of his work.

“So far,I have made around 500 cards,of which 30 have gone missing,while 250 have been sent to people I have met,” he added.