Born on February 15, 1924, in Kerala, Subramanyan studied under the tutelage of doyens Benode Behari Mukherjee, Nandalal Bose and Ramkinkar Baij at Shantiniketan. He graduated from Kala Bhavan at Visva Bharati University in 1948 after receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the Presidency College in Chennai. In 1955, he received a British Council Research Fellowship to the Slade School of Art at the University of London.

Known for his versatility, Subramanyan dabbled in glass painting and toy-making, even weaving. His paintings are famed for being punctuated with irony, wit and satire.

On the occasion of his 90th anniversary, Seagull Foundation For The Arts organised a year-long travelling exhibition of the master’s latest works. Seagull Books has also published over 40 books of Subramanyan's artwork.

Survived by his daughter Uma and her family, Subramanyan was pioneer of modern art forms in paintings and pottery. He was also a lecturer at M S University, where students idolised his skills with terracotta, especially designing toys.