Grains of creativity: Artist Ruben Prakash transforms traditional kolam art into modern masterpieces

Today, S4SKY contracts three full-time rangoli artists, with many students joining to work under Prakash’s expert guidance. He used to teach kolam classes in his ashram, taking on 20 to 30 students in each batch. “Some of them have now started their own kolam businesses, even competing with my brother,” says Maya Vinothini Navindran, a longtime student of Prakash. “I’ve noticed in the last year that many youngsters have started to take up kolam art. I think it’s wonderful,” Prakash says, confident that there is room for everyone in the field.

Before the pandemic, Prakash was creating around 30 large-scale kolams each year. In 2016, the longest kolam he created in KLIA2 spanned 180ft for Deepavali. While kolam art in Malaysia is most commonly associated with Deepavali, they are suitable for all kinds of celebrations. “We’ve created kolams for Maybank’s Merdeka exhibition and another at Bukit Bintang City Centre for Hari Malaysia,” Prakash shares.

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Weddings and birthdays have also inspired unique requests, from football club logos to personalised motifs. “Wedded couples often have their own ideas tied to their theme. I’ve even designed a tooth-shaped kolam for a pair of dentists,” Prakash says. He admits there have been more technically challenging requests, like combining London Bridge with the Petronas Twin Towers for a mixed marriage.

The artist embraces all requests except for depicting deities. “I rarely do deities because the kolam is on the floor, and I prefer not to place holy figures there,” Prakash explains, out of respect for their sanctity. When it comes to his favourite motif, Prakash admits a fondness for lotus flowers. “I prefer lotus flowers. They’re a symbol of life, prosperity, and purity. Most of my kolams feature it. It’s easy to do and looks nice.”

Prakash’s most intricate kolam was crafted for The Gardens Mall in 2023. This interactive 3D masterpiece, inspired by the elegance of centuries-old Kanchipuram sarees, featured a mannequin draped in pure mulberry silk. These sarees are renowned for their exquisite “zari” embroidery of real gold and silver threads. Prakash recreated intricate saree border details using glitter, with other sections of the kolam illustrating the saree-making process.

“The Gardens Mall always gives me the freedom to create,” Prakash says, noting that having a creative licence inspires him to push boundaries. “Each year, I will choose a unique theme that highlights the beauty and richness of Indian culture.” The interactive kolam also included authentic Kanchipuram sarees, some valued at up to RM30,000, which shoppers could experience firsthand with the help of professional saree drapers on standby. “It turned out very well,” Prakash says proudly, “around 500 shoppers wore the sarees and took a lot of photos.”

Although kolams traditionally use rice flour, Prakash prefers broken rice for his art because it’s easier to work with, often incorporating semolina flour for details. Preparing the rice with edible food colouring is a daunting task and an unseen challenge of kolam art.

“One week before we start on a kolam, we can usually estimate how many kilograms of rice we’re going to use and prepare accordingly,” Prakash explains, having used 300kg of rice in a single design for The Gardens Mall in 2019. Often receiving last-minute kolam requests, Prakash and his team have had to do their best to work out solutions in as little as a day. “We often work all night assembling kolam designs and dye more rice in the morning. The Deepavali season is also the rainy season, which makes it very difficult for us [to dry the rice]. We need a big space and turn on all the fans!” The rice takes up to a week to dry, risking mould if inadequately prepared.

As Deepavali approaches, Prakash prepares both physically and mentally for the busy season. “I start taking supplements for knee joint health a month in advance because we spend most of October on our knees,” he says. He also ensures his knees are supported while working but accepts that pain comes with the job. “When [Prakash] mentions his knee pain, his young son often comes up to him and says, ‘Appa, I’ll put [medicated] oil on for you,’” says Navindran.

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The day before Deepavali in 2023, Prakash estimates that he created 50 kolams in a single day. Moving from home to home on a packed schedule, he free-handed flower and peacock motifs in as little as ten minutes. “Even when we hear people starting the celebrations with firecrackers, we’re busy drawing kolams,” Prakash says.

Despite being a loving husband and father to a four-year-old son, Prakash admits he hasn’t celebrated Deepavali at home with his family for many years, as he’s always busy creating kolams. “My family understands my work, and we always make sure to celebrate together no more than a week later.”

If Prakash has one message for kolam admirers, it’s to be mindful of completed kolams. “This is a big problem. After leaving for another project, we often receive calls from management telling us that our work has been damaged because a child ran into it.” These days, the kolams often sit atop a printed underlayer guide, ensuring the artwork remains visible despite damage until Prakash and his team can fix it. The underlayer also protects floors from being stained by the coloured rice.

Although starting a kolam school has been a long-term goal, Prakash says he’s making progress little by little. “We have tutors who can guide, but what we need is a place and proper funding to get it off the ground.” Even with limited resources, Prakash is a natural teacher who invites anyone with interest to join him on projects, regardless of experience. “They learn by doing: toning, lining, and technique come with experience. It is how most of my students learn.”

Driven to innovate, Prakash has created dynamic kolams with rotating elements. He has even tried preserving his kolam creations in resin to create something lasting, describing it as a steep learning curve. Open to new technologies, Prakash always sees room to advance his craft. “We learned to hand-sketch designs before using Illustrator and Photoshop. Now that we’re creating more 3D designs, we are trying to adapt. Maybe AI will make designing even easier.”

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