At the intersection of artwork and science, lies the realm of botanical illustration. For Suresh Ragavan, a hen artist, who has served as a botanical illustrator at the Botanical Survey of India for over 33 years, this realm has not solely been a supply of his bread and butter, however inspiration too that saved fuelling his ardour for Nature. This ardour has now translated into a solo exhibition — titled, Brushstrokes of Endemic Echoes — of his creations, 157 of which adorn the Kadambari Art Gallery, DakshinaChitra Museum, Chennai.
Suresh captures microscopic particulars, like ovary form, stamen association, or leaf venation whereas working underneath a microscope
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Special association
“A botanical illustrator faces many challenges, both artistic and scientific. One of the biggest is achieving scientific accuracy — even the tiniest mistake in a leaf shape or petal count can lead to rejections from botanists. Getting final approval often means multiple rounds of corrections, especially when working on species with minute differences, like male and female plants or visually similar varieties,” explains Suresh, about the nitty-gritty of his creative endeavours. “Capturing microscopic details like ovary shape, stamen arrangement, or leaf venation requires intense focus and sometimes working under a microscope. There’s also the challenge of interpreting incomplete or wilted specimens collected from the field. Above all, patience and precision are constant companions in this demanding, but rewarding work” he provides.
Vigors’s sunbird
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Special association
A graduate of the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Chennai (1988), Suresh started his skilled journey, pushed by a mission to make use of artwork as a instrument for conservation. In doing so, he has documented and painted a huge array of species, together with wild animals, orchids, butterflies, and particularly birds.
He has studied and illustrated over 157 endangered hen species, making certain that every anatomical characteristic — beak, toes, feather sample, physique posture, and even minute sexual dimorphisms between males and females — is faithfully represented. “In total, I have nearly 550 paintings. This exhibition only showcases endangered birds in the Western Ghats that I have documented over the years. The list of endemic birds featured at the exhibition includes Pallas’s fish eagle, mangrove pitta, Nilgiri thrush, Vigors’s sunbird, great hornbill, Nilgiri Chilappan, flame-throated bulbul, Malabar grey hornbill and black-and-orange flycatcher,” he provides.
Black-and-orange flycatcher
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Special association
The spectrum of botanical illustrators spans a vibrant trajectory. Encyclopaedia Britannica cites classical pharmacologist, artist, and doctor to Mithradates VI, king of Pontus (120–63 BC) Crateuas’s drawings as the earliest identified botanical illustrations. In India, the earliest type of botanical artwork traces its roots to depictions on early archaeological websites and in historical manuscripts. This sphere of artwork prospers even right now, regardless of the comfort of high-end cameras and cellphones. Why, although? “Despite all the fancy cameras, a botanical illustrator captures what the lens often misses — clarity, emotion, and essence. Cameras can distort colours or miss tiny structures hidden in shadows, while the brush highlights them with precision. Illustrations unify multiple views — flower, fruit, leaf, dissection — into one clear visual story. There’s a sensitivity in hand-drawn art that breathes life into the subject. The paintbrush doesn’t just record a plant — it interprets it,” says Suresh.
Great hornbill
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Special association
True to his phrases, Suresh’s work stands out for its scientific accuracy and sensitivity to element. He makes use of water colors on paper as his medium of expression. His illustrations have been extensively acknowledged in tutorial papers, conservation stories, exhibitions, and they function visible information of species which are more and more threatened by habitat loss, local weather change, and human encroachment. Many of his work concentrate on endemic and endangered species of the Western Ghats and India, highlighting their fragile existence and the pressing want for his or her safety.
Suresh makes use of water colors on paper as his medium of expression
| Photo Credit:
Special association
On show at Kadambari Art Gallery, DakshinaChitra Museum, Chennai, until June 2; 10am to 6pm; weekends until 7pm. Entry is included with common museum admission (closed on Tuesdays).
Published – May 30, 2025 04:33 pm IST
