At just six years old, Mr Saravanan Balasubramaniam was like any other child scribbling on the walls of his home. While his mother scolded him for the mess, his father saw something different.
A hobbyist painter of Indian deities, his father became his first mentor and fiercest critic. He would borrow library books filled with animals, sitting patiently behind young Saravanan to guide his hand, correcting intricate detail.
This early encouragement ignited a lifelong fire. By his secondary school years, Saravanan was painting massive backdrops for speech days in school.
As a teenager, his uncle introduced him to the community at the Singapore Sri Mariamman Temple. There, he cemented the connection to his heritage by painting the majestic Anjaneyar flag for the flag-hoisting ceremony before Theemithi (Fire Walking Festival), relying on nothing more than a tin of oil paint and a simple cloth.
However, the transition to adulthood quickly stripped away the romance of being an artist. Saravanan graduated with a Diploma in communication design from LASALLE College of the Arts during the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.
The economic crash decimated the creative industry. Facing entry-level design jobs that offered barely S$1,200 a month, and burdened by family obligations, the heavy societal chorus that art has no future grew deafening.
Needing immediate financial stability to support his family, he joined the Singapore Police Force in 2003.
Tragically, while Saravanan was still undergoing his rigorous police training, his father passed away at just 53. The devastating loss of his first mentor temporarily crushed his artistic ambitions. In 2008, he migrated to Perth, Western Australia, to join the Western Australia Police Force, seemingly locking his creative passion away for a decade.
The quiet rekindling of his art began years later. In 2017, a bedroom mural he painted for the daughter of a colleague unexpectedly went viral on Facebook and Instagram, sparking a massive surge in private commissions.
When a fellow police officer had a daughter battling a brain tumour, Saravanan painted a heartfelt family portrait to bring them comfort. The tearful and overwhelming embrace from his colleague upon receiving the painting was an epiphany. It proved that art possessed the raw human power to touch souls and change lives.
The final catalyst arrived with the passing of his mother at the age of 74. Acutely aware of his own mortality and determined not to let his dreams die unfulfilled, Saravanan made a bold life-altering decision. In 2023, just before turning 50, he handed in his uniform, resigning from a secure 20-year law enforcement career to finally pursue art full time.
Today, the 50-year-old is a globally celebrated artpreneur. Encouraged by his entrepreneurial wife and two sons who deeply believe in his talent, he has gained widespread international recognition for his signature 2D to 3D bespoke pop art style and vibrant murals.
His creative journey has taken him to major cultural hubs across Dubai, Qatar and Spain, with upcoming exhibitions and projects slated for Paris and Mexico.
Yet, despite the global footprint and commercial success, Saravanan remains profoundly grounded. His ultimate goal is not wealth but permanence.
By embedding his vibrant cross cultural narratives into public murals, schools and hospitals, he is building a legacy designed to outlive him.
For Saravanan, every confident stroke of the brush is a tribute to the parents who first guided him, proving to the world that it is never too late to reclaim the canvas you started as a child.
