M. Senathipathi

M. Senathipathi is an Indian artist closely associated with the Madras Art Movement. He studied under the influential artist-teacher K. C. S. Paniker at the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai, receiving his diploma in drawing and painting in 1965. Senathipathi was among the early artists to settle at Cholamandal Artists’ Village, established by Paniker as a space for artistic experimentation and collaboration.

His work draws heavily from mythology, ritual, and the visual culture of South India. Childhood memories of religious practices, temple imagery, and folk stories shaped his visual vocabulary, while motifs such as kolam patterns, yantric diagrams, and geometric folk forms frequently appear in his compositions.

A distinctive feature of Senathipathi’s practice is his use of pen and ink wash on handmade paper, often creating a luminous, stained-glass-like effect. By working on wet paper, he allows the pressure of the nib or brush to produce blots, smudges, and soft tonal transitions that enhance the textural depth of the image.

Senathipathi has exhibited widely in India and internationally, including in Poland, Germany, Malaysia, Holland, and Morocco. He lives and works in Chennai.