Asai Rasiah, a distinguished Tamil artist, was born in 1946 in Atchuveli, Sri Lanka. From 1966 to 1969, he attended the School of Arts & Crafts in Colombo. Afterwards, he served as an art teacher at Royal College. During his tenure there, he collaborated with the Philatelic Bureau, designing stamps commemorating figures such as Sir P. Ramanathan, Sir P. Arunachalam, Sir W. Duraiswamy, and Veerasingham, known as the father of the Co-operative Movement, among others.

In 1983, amidst riots, Rasiah relocated from Colombo to Jaffna, where he spent the remainder of his life. His artistic endeavours primarily focused on depicting Tamil people, the Jaffna landscape, and its culture. He showcased his work at the National Art Gallery in Colombo and the University of Jaffna. Rasiah was honoured with several Sri Lankan awards, including the Kalaignanachchudar Award, Governor of the Northern Province Award, Kalapushanam Award, and Colombo Tamil Sangam Award.

Rasiah published ‘Vimbam’ with support from well-wishers, showcasing his remarkable paintings in book format. Unfortunately, Rasiah passed away shortly after the book’s publication. However, his daughter Gayathri is determined to distribute copies of his book to schools and libraries, benefiting art students and enthusiasts alike. The team at Maanudam is keen to support the distribution of his book, to honour and share the work of someone who we consider to be one of the most renowned artists of his era.