While I was in Chennai this weekend for an event, I decided to buzz a fellow TiE Charter Member – Reji Joseph. What followed was not a meeting. It was an experience.
A Chartered Accountant by qualification, with a stellar professional career, Reji has always been an artist at heart. And when he graciously invited me to his studio – Infinity Studio – I stepped into a universe where balance sheets meet brush strokes, and logic dances with layers of imagination.
His paintings don’t merely hang on walls. They breathe.
Each artwork carries 20+ layers of strokes, months of contemplation, relentless patience, and a depth that cannot be rushed.
That’s not art production. That’s art devotion.
And then there was “Sova” (it means owl in Croatian).
I was mesmerised.
Not because it was visually stunning – which it was – but because of the story, symbolism, precision, and silent power it carried.
Every nuance had intent.
Every detail had a reason.
From Bucephalus (the horse) and Akal–Kal–Jai (the bulls), to Muttrah (the skyline of Muscat), Mingati (the lion), Yola (the tiger), Kandula (the elephant), Hania (the eagle), Chimps, Harras (the horses), Buddha, Cristo Rei (the Christ), and of course, Billie Eilish – each painting carried a unique thought, a distinct emotion, and a story of its own.
Watching Reji explain his paintings felt like attending a masterclass in how thought becomes form.
What makes Reji even more fascinating is that he doesn’t live one life – he lives many.
Ambidextrous. Cyclist. Biker. Golfer. Martial arts enthusiast who trains at least thrice a week. Active Charter Member of TiE Chennai.
Active investor with Chennai Angels and more.
So in the morning, he is at Loyola College, wearing a sharp suit, addressing MBA students about new-age ideas, startups, and investments.
By afternoon, in the same college, same day, different avatar – casual attire – sharing insights with art students about paint, perspective, patience, and passion.
That’s not multitasking.
That’s multidimensional living.
As Reji himself says, he somehow finds time for all this and more – almost as if he has more than 24 hours in a day.
Our conversation flowed effortlessly – art, business, life. I walked out not just inspired, but energised. The kind of energy that stays with you long after the conversation ends.
I can’t wait to meet Reji again.
To visit his studio.
To see his next creations.
To hear more stories from a man who proves that you don’t choose between profession and passion – you build a life where both thrive together.
And somewhere between his studio, his strokes, and his stories – you begin to realise:
Reji isn’t just creating art.
He is creating a way of living.
And that, to me, is the rarest masterpiece of all.