Commentary by Ron C. Moss, Haiga Editor

Haiga Showcase: Milan Rajkumar

This is Milan Rajkumar’s first appearance in cho. His haiga feature similar elements, yet each is a unique artistic expression that shines with each viewing.

“autumn wind,” with its artistic rendering of bare branches, immediately makes me think of Basho’s famous haiku. I really like how Milan’s haiku associates the tree limbs with the “creaking” and “crunching” of bones. The artist’s seal and signature are positioned well without being intrusive, and the haiku is presented with ample white space. The overall effect is one of meditative cohesion.

“grandma’s mantra” nicely associates the song of birds with a loved family member’s steady flow of sound. The haiku captures well the early morning moment.

In “nine months,” we see a pleasing juxtaposition between the pregnancy and the floral arrangement. The monochrome image—as if the flowers are waiting to give birth to color—adds a nice touch.

In “old age home,” the starkness of the plant in the photograph enhances the senryu and its emotional weight. As in all of Milan’s haiga, the elements balance nicely.

Milan explains in his own words:

I have been writing haikai poems for almost a decade in my blog. Without knowing what haiga was, I used photos and drawings in all of those poems. Later, after publishing some poems in journals and magazines, and after deepening my understanding of link-and-shift and the use of negative space, I asked myself, Why not try my hand at haiga. . . ? 

In my drawings and paintings, I have used pencils, micro-tip pens, calligraphy pens, Chinese brushes, bamboo dip pens, and felt-tip pens. Lately I have been using my Android phone to capture moments that strike a chord.

I am greatly influenced by the works of Ron C. Moss, a haiga poet, and would recommend his works to all haiga lovers on YouTube and Instagram.

Last but not the least, my mentor, Kala Ramesh, taught me about link-and-shift in different genres of haikai poetry.