Kollywood shots @ Mahaxarts
“The city and its layered history is my muse in most of my personal projects,” says city-based artist-illustrator Mahalakshmi Somasundar who launched Mahaxarts in 2021. “My fascination for Chennai started back in college. I studied Architecture and we had a course centred around the city, and I found myself dumb-struck learning the city I was raised in had so many layers of history,” says the 25-year-old who illustrates Madras-themed art on merchandise such as posters, postcards, art prints, stickers, and more.
Artwork at Mahaxarts | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
For #36DaysofType in 2021, the artist produced a series of illustrations on heritage buildings across the city starting from A to Z. This series was later developed into a poster called the Madras Alphabet, which showcases structures such as the erstwhile Jeypore Palace (once home to Amethyst Cafe) and Electric Theatre (present Chennai’s Philatelic Bureau), says Mahalakshmi, who has been gathering information about the city’s buildings for about two years.
Mahalakshmi Somasundar | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Other products include the Madras in Movies postcard series that has illustrated stills from Tamil cinema with historically salient buildings and landmarks such as Ramalayam Palace of the Travancore royal family of Kerala (seen in Muthu) in the frame. “The more I studied about Chennai, the more I was able to identify heritage structures as the hidden element in movie frames/scenes. The idea is to bring the places in the background to the fore and share stories and facts about them,” says Mahalakshmi, who is now working on a calendar based on the city.
Upwards of ₹35, @mahaxarts on Instagram
A magnet from the Beach Bommai series | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Beach bommais @ Odd Trunk
Inspired by Chennai’s everyday life, illustrator Riddhi Rohit’s designs are rooted in her love for the city’s culture. Her recent designs include the autorickshaw crafted into a magnet, and new additions to the Beach Bommai series. “The beach bommai design showcases a doll clad in a saree and sunglasses, holding a tender coconut. It captures the essence of a beautiful coastal life, and the entire series is inspired by Tanjore dolls, reflecting my upbringing in Thanjavur,” says Riddhi, who kickstarted the brand in 2018 with DIY paper dolls, lampshades, and trinkets inspired by the city’s golu festival.
Riddhi Rohit | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Today, her catalogue comprises stationery, wall art, bag charms, and more. “My favourite collection is the floral drishti bommais. These designs are available as magnets, charms, and wall plaques. I love how they blend traditional motifs with a modern, vibrant aesthetic.”
Upwards of ₹150 on oddtrunk.com
Notebooks by The Phoenix Company | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Dosa magnets @ The Phoenix Company
At The Phoenix Company that has been around since the 1990s, sisters Upasika and Aditi Maithreya create and retail quirky Chennai-themed merchandise alongside apparel, decor, etc under their partner labels. “We started retailing T-shirts, magnets, etc themed on the city in 2017. On our travels to other cities, we often wanted to collect fridge magnets or aesthetic postcards for our homes. Keeping that in mind, we wanted to offer products that people can take back as souvenirs and collectibles which will remind them of Chennai,” says Aditi, who illustrates the products. The No Place Like Home... series, she says, “captures the elements that breathe life into our mundane routines”. Be it the man selling colourful balloons on the beach, two old ladies enjoying a hearty laugh while stringing flowers, women drawing kolam, or thatha paati taking a walk, illustrations from the series went into their notebooks, and a calendar.
(L-R) Upasika and Aditi Maithreya | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Popular offerings at the brand include their Madras-themed T-shirts, notebooks and art prints in With Love from Namma Chennai… and handmade miniature food fridge magnets of dosas, idlis and vadas. Speaking about how the latter came to be, Upasika says it was during the lockdown that she wanted to create rakhis with clay. “The most popular theme we agreed on was food, and decided to offer miniature food clay rakhis with magnets so that after Raksha Bandhan the magnets could be a lovely reminder of good times. After the festivities, we continued to get enquiries and so we launched a separate product line of miniature food magnets,” she says, adding that their latest design features thayir saadam (curd rice).
Upwards of ₹150 on thephoenixcompany.in
A bottle from the ‘Mutts in Madras’ series | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Dogs and more @ Artagasm
The art merchandise store helmed by illustrator and graphic designer Vasudevan A, has a slew of launches for Madras Day. T-shirts themed on MS Dhoni, Chennai’s map; coasters with auto rickshaws; a poster inspired by actor Rajnikanth’s movie Mannan, among others. “With our designs for Madras Day, we wanted to capture through our illustrations the essence of Madras and its chaos and beauty: from tea kadais and crowded buses to temples and beaches,” says Vasudevan,32. “We also enjoy movies, especially Tamil cinema,” he adds, speaking of the brand’s posters, coasters, and T-shirts with abstract, illustrated references to Tamil movies.
Vasudevan A | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
But the highlight is the Mutts of Madras series inspired by the “lively and super friendly strays we see on the streets of Madras”. Comprising postcards, T-shirts, tumbler bottles and tote bags, the series, says Vasudevan, took shape as the brand advocates the ‘adopt don’t shop’ policy. “We have four mongrels and eight cats, and we try to capture the mutts as they are: cute, friendly and adorable, to encourage more people to take care of their streeties even if they can’t adopt one.”
Upwards of ₹249 on artagasm.com
Muthu Kumaran’s 2023 collection | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Photo first @ From The Lens Of MK
For Muthu Kumaran Subramanian, an IT professional who hails from Thoothukudi, joining Postcrossing (a postcard exchange project) during the lockdown gave his art meaning. “I moved to Chennai in 2017, and the city is special to me.. it made me an extrovert,” says Muthu, who has been pursuing art and photography as hobbies from his school days.
Muthu Kumaran Subramanian | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Encouraged by his friends from the Postcrossing community, he turned his art into postcards and badges themed on the city for Madras Day last year. “It was the first time my art was on sale, and I received a good response.” This year, Muthu will launch a poster comprising his photographs of iconic landmarks such as Ripon Building, LIC, among others, a postcard shaped as the Chennai Central Railway Station, and badges.
Upwards of ₹50, @fromthelensof_mk on Instagram
Postcards from the ‘Mutts in Madras’ series | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Kolam fridge magnet at Odd Trunk | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
