Born in Kerala, Velu Viswanadhan has carved his own domain in the contemporary art scene. He lives in Paris since 1968. There is something undoubtedly singular about Viswanadhan. He reckons life to be one big journey, journey to nothingness. Wandering the world over like a nomad he traces new designs and patterns.

In his early years he drew inspiration from the geometrical ritualistic-magical diagrams of Kerala. Even after delving much in contrasted materials like paper, canvas and metal, the geomatrical patterns still continue to influence him as a breathing pattern.

His pitching of tent in Paris is an unplanned extension of the visit there in the late 60's. During his stay in Cholamandal, Madras, Bangalore based Sidharamanna, who was organizing an exhibition of Indian Paintings in Paris and other capitals of Europe invited the painters to travel with show, provided they pay for their own travel ticket. Viswanadhan treated this as an adventure and followed suit.

Through sheer luck or by fate, an important Art gallery, the Galerie-de-France, where the well known contemporary masters used to display their works, offered Viswanadhan to exhibit his paintings. For a person coming from a locale where contemporary art wields no respect, it was Heaven sent opportunity.

Soon events unfolded in a positive way and shower of recognitions began to overwhelm him. What was intended as an adventitious visit to the land of masters turned out to be an extensive sojourn rubbing shoulders with them.

By disavowing the regional and national limitations he pursued his art. He is guided by the notion that Art is universal. One should feel free to follow it and that's the destiny. Such an indulgence might result in losing political identity and rights. But one feels liberated from the inherent passion, sometimes negative towards native soil and community. Patriotism distinctly different from Nationalism, one should not mix both together.

It was the urge to do something tangible; to tear clear from the homeland and the prospect of wandering around in unknown territory kept him afloat in Paris. To swim against the tide compelled him to set up camp in Paris, the seat of all the modern art.

He believes that modern and contemporary art are city-centric or alternatively they stemmed from suburbia. What Kerala maintains is traditional representation, depicting temple arts and rituals. The utopia of modernity is killed in the present context!

He is of the opinion that when put in a protected environment, the creative intensity will not unleash itself. One should break free from the nestled environs to channel the creative energy properly. Once it is attained, the way things would project become different, and there will be more insight into unfolding things. Desire, hunger, envy and solitude seem to be the forcing ingredient of his quest for existence.

His visual works (Films on the Elements) which could be defined as creative documentaries are quite different. He does not conform to the established ideas. For Viswanadhan, Cinema is the unconstrained prolongation of his canvas, an extension of paintings and sketches. For him the requisite insight to do a painting is precisely the same, as one required in making a Movie.

The rudimentary attribute of his movie is that he fabricates images to support an idea. They are movements of images on screen. They are open-ended films, which don't decide for the viewer, what he should think.