India, March 27 -- For 73 years, K K Venkateswaran has sat at his table every day, using implements to carve out beautiful and intricate works of art on a 'scratchboard', a technique used by commercial artists and illustrators. This weekend (March 27 to 29), he is set to hold his first solo show at the P L Deshpande Kala Academy, Prabhadevi at the age of 95-a tribute to his energy and undying passion for his art.

The self-taught artist's studio has a variety of his works on display-a stunning portrait of Oscar award-winning actor Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela, a close-up of a zebra, focusing on its striking black-and-white stripes, the majestic face of a tiger, the ruins of an old pagoda. He picked up the scratchboard technique in 195...