C. N. Karunakaran (1940 – 14 December 2013) was an Indian painter, illustrator and art director from

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...

. He was the Chairman of the Kerala Lalitakala Academy and a recipient of several honours including the

Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Kerala Lalithakala Academy for Fine Arts is an autonomous body which was established in 1962 to promote art and artistic heritage, based at Thrissur in Kerala. Murali Cheeroth is the newly appointed chairman of Kerala Lalitha Kala Akademi on 2022 ...

Award which he won thrice. The Akademi honoured him again with the fellowship in 2005.

Biography

C. N. Karunakaran was born in 1940 at Brahmakulam, a village near

Guruvayur Guruvayur () is a municipal temple town in Thrissur District, of Kerala State in India. It is a suburban town of Thrissur city, located from Thrissur towards the north-west. It houses the Guruvayur Shri Krishna Temple. It is located at ...

Thrissur Thrissur (), formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi and Kozhikode, and ...

District of

. He contracted

typhoid Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...

while he was a child and the complications from the disease crippled him in one of his legs. Through most of his childhood, he was undergoing

ayurvedic Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population repor ...

treatment because of which he could not pursue academic studies. His formal training in art was at the

Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai The Government College of Fine Arts (initially known as the Madras School of Art) in Chennai is the oldest art institution in India. The institution was established in 1850 by surgeon Alexander Hunter as a private art school. In 1852, after bei ...

where he learned under such as

D. P. Roy Choudhury Devi Prasad Roy Choudhury MBE (15 June 1899 – 15 October 1975) was an Indian sculptor, painter and educator. He is well known for his monumental bronze sculptures, especially the ''Triumph of Labour'' and the ''Martyrs' Memorial'', and is rate ...

and

K. C. S. Paniker Kovalezhi Cheeramputhoor Sankara Paniker (31 May 1911 – 16 January 1977) was an Indian metaphysical and abstract painter from Malabar District. He interpreted the country's age-old metaphysical and spiritual knowledge in the 1960s, when India ...

to secure two diplomas; one in design and another in advanced painting. He stayed in Chennai even after his studies, making advertisement films and working as an art director in a few Malayalam films. In 1970, he shifted his base to

Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of ...

where he became involved with ''Kerala Kalapeedom'' (Kerala Institute of Arts). Here, he had the opportunity to interact with a host of like-minded people such as M. V. Devan,

Kanayi Kunhiraman Kanayi Kunhiraman ( ml, കാനായി കുഞ്ഞിരാമന്‍; born 25 July 1937) is an Indian sculptor, best known for his outsize sculptures such as ''Yakshi'' of Malampuzha Dam Gardens, '' Sagarakanyaka'' at Shankumugham Be ...

, A. C. K. Raja,

Namboothiri The Nambudiri (), also transliterated as Nampoothiri, Nambūdiri, Namboodiri, Nampoothiri, and Nampūtiri, are a Malayali Brahmin caste, native to what is now the state of Kerala, India, where they constituted part of the traditional feudal e ...

, K. P. Soman,

M. K. K. Nair Meppally Keshava Pillai Krishnankutty Nair (1920–1987), commonly identified as M. K. K. Nair, was an Indian bureaucrat, art connoisseur and Indian Administrative Service officer from Kerala. Besides his services in the setting up of Bhilai Ste ...

C. N. Sreekantan Nair C. N. Sreekantan Nair (1928–1976) was an Indian independence activist, a Malayalam writer, short story writer, playwright and screenwriter, best known for his ''Ramayana'' trilogy – ''Kanchana Sita (play), Kanchana Sita'', ''Saketham'' and ''L ...

M. K. Sanu M. K. Sanu (born 27 October 1928) is a Malayali writer, critic, retired professor, biographer, journalist, orator, social activist, and human rights activist. He has authored over thirty-six books. He is a permanent member of the International B ...

Pattathuvila Karunakaran Pattathuvila Karunakaran (1925–1988) was an Indian film producer and short story writer of Malayalam literature. He was best known for his book, ''Vimarsham'' and for his association with the film, ''Uttarayanam'', the directorial debut of no ...

, M. Thomas Mathew and

T. Ramachandran T. Ramachandran may refer to: * T. Ramachandran (writer) (1944–2000), Indian author * T. Ramachandran (CPI politician), politician with the Communist Party of India * T. Ramachandran (INC politician), politician with the Indian National Con ...

. Three years later, he founded ''Chitrakoodam'', the first privately-owned art gallery in Kerala but the initiative ran only for four years until 1977. He was also involved with ''Ochre'', another private art gallery in Kochi. Subsequently, he focused his career mainly on painting and illustrations; ''

Manorama Weekly ''Manorama Weekly'' is a weekly Malayalam language local interest magazine published by Manorama Group of publications from Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the eas ...

Kalakaumudi ''Kalakaumudi'' ( is an illustrated weekly news magazine published in Malayalam language Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé d ...

Kerala Kaumudi ''Kerala Kaumudi'' is a Malayalam language daily newspaper published from Kerala, India. It was founded in 1911 by C. V. Kunhiraman as a periodical. His son K. Sukumaran later served as the newspaper's editor. Kerala Kaumudi Daily is among t ...

Weekly, Malayalanadu, Chintha,

Deshabhimani ''Deshabhimani'' is a Malayalam newspaper and the organ of the Kerala State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). It started as a weekly in Calicut on 6 September 1942 and converted to a daily in 1946. The paper now has ten diffe ...

Weekly, Kumkumam,

Mathrubhumi Weekly ''Mathrubhumi Azhchappathippu'' ( en, Mathrubhumi Illustrated Weekly) is an Indian general interest weekly magazine published by the Mathrubhumi Printing and Publishing Company in Calicut. The Malayalam language magazine started publishing on 18 ...

Bhashaposhini ''Bhashaposhini'' is an Indian monthly magazine. It is one of the oldest Malayalam literary review magazines. History and profile ''Bhashaposhini'' was first published in 1892 as a literary journal of the Bhashaposhini Sabha. The founding edito ...

'' and ''

India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' launched a new on ...

'' were some of the publications he illustrated for. He also illustrated ''Lore and Legends of Kerala'', the English translation of ''

Aithihyamala Aithihyamala or Ithihyamala ( ml, ഐതിഹ്യമാല) (''Garland of Legends'') is a collection of century-old stories from Kerala that cover a vast spectrum of life, famous persons and events. It is a collection of legends numbering over ...

'', published by

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...

. Karaunakaran as married to Easwari, and the couple had a son, Ayillyan and a daughter, Ammini. He died in

on December 14, 2013, at the age of 73, succumbing to cardiac failure following a brief period of illness. The body was cremated at the Corporation of Cochin Ravipuram Crematorium. His son, Ayillyan Karunakaran, is an advertisement filmmaker.

Legacy

One of the first assignments Karunakaran undertook after returning to Kerala from Chennai was the restoration of murals at Guruvayur temple. He participated in several exhibitions, both group and solo, at various places in India and abroad, including the

Embassy of India in Washington The Embassy of India in Washington, D.C. is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of India to the United States. It is headed by the Indian Ambassador to the United States. The current Ambassador is Taranjit Singh Sandhu. India also has consulat ...

, Asian Art Gallery,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

, Brazilian cities like Rio de Janeiro, Paraty, São Paulo and Brasilia, Asian Art Gallery, Vienna and Kuwait. During his stay in Chennai, he was also involved with the Madras Design Demonstration Centre, a unit of the

Government of Tamil Nadu Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, lik ...

where he assisted the centre in improving the handicrafts business and has illustrated a number of literary works in book form. Karaunakaran's debut in films was in 1978 when he designed the production of ''

Ekakini ''Ekakini'' is a 1978 Indian Malayalam film, directed and produced by G. S. Panicker. The film stars Shobha, Indra Balan and Ravi Menon in the lead roles. The film is an adaptation of the short story "Karutha Chandran" by M. T. Vasudevan Nair. I ...

'', directed by G. S. Panicker. The next year, when

K. R. Mohanan K. R. Mohanan (11 December 1947 – 25 June 2017) born at thiruvathra Chavakadu Thrissur was a Malayalam film director best known for his critically acclaimed works, ''Ashwathama'' (1978), ''Purushartham'' (1987) and ''Swaroopam'' (1992). He stud ...

made his debut film, '' Ashwadhamavu'', Karunakaran started his career as an art director, in which he also played a small part. He went on to work for four more films, ''

Akkare ''Akkare'' () is a 1983 Indian Malayalam-language film directed, written and produced by K. N. Sasidharan. The film stars Bharath Gopi and Madhavi in lead roles, with Mammootty, Mohanlal, and Nedumudi Venu in guest roles. Plot Gopi lives a m ...

'' (1984) of K. N. Sasidharan, ''

Purushartham ''Purushartham'' is a 1987 Indian Malayalam film, directed by K. R. Mohanan and produced by P. T. Kunjumuhammed. The film stars Adoor Bhasi, Sujata Mehta, Jain George and Madambu Kunjukuttan in the lead roles. This film won Kerala State Film ...

'' (1986) of K. R. Mohanan, ''

Ore Thooval Pakshikal ''Ore Thooval Pakshikal'' ( en, Birds of the Same Feather) is a 1988 Malayalam film written, directed and produced by Chintha Ravi. The film, in a docu-drama style, depicts the last days of the British Raj. It stars Balan K. Nair, Tom Alter, Nila ...

'' (1988) of

Chintha Ravi K. Ravindran (1945–2011), better known by his pen-name Chintha Ravi, was an Indian writer, journalist, film critic and film director. Biography Born in Kannadikkal in Kozhikode as the son of Kunnummal Krishnan and Lakshmi, Ravindran studied at ...

and ''

Alicinte Anveshanam ''Alicinte Anveshanam'' ( en, The Search of Alice, italic=yes) is a 1989 Malayalam-language film written and directed by T. V. Chandran.The story revolves around a woman named Alice(Jalaja) who goes in search of her missing husband. Plot Set in ...

'' (1989) of

T. V. Chandran T. V. Chandran (born 23 November 1950) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and actor, predominantly working in Malayalam cinema. Born in a Malayali family in Telicherry, Chandran worked as a Reserve Bank of India employee before entering ...

Awards and honours

His performance during his student years at the

earned him the gold medal of the

Government of Madras A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

for the best outgoing student in 1956. He received one more award before he returned to Kerala, the annual award of Madras

Lalit Kala Akademi The Lalit Kala Akademi or National Academy of Art (LKA) is India's national academy of fine arts. It is an autonomous organisation, established in New Delhi in 1954 by Government of India to promote and propagate understanding of Indian art, in ...

in 1964. He received the

Award, thrice, twice in succession in 1971 and 1972 and later, in 1975. He was selected for the

P. T. Bhaskara Panicker P. T. Bhaskara Panicker (1921–1997) was a famous social activist and writer of Kerala, India. He was born on 15 October 1921 in Adakkaputhur in Palakkad district to K.M.V.Namppoothiri and Kavukkutty amma. After passing BSc and BT, he worked as ...

Award in 2000 and for the

Malayattoor Ramakrishnan K. V. Ramakrishna Iyer, better known by his pen name, Malayattoor Ramakrishnan (27 May 1927 – 27 December 1997), was an Indian writer of Malayalam literature, cartoonist, lawyer, judicial magistrate, and Indian Administrative Service (IAS) of ...

Award in 2003. The

indicted him as a distinguished fellow in 2005; Akademi honoured him again in 2009, with

Raja Ravi Varma Raja Ravi Varma ( ml, രാജാ രവിവർമ്മ; 29 April 1848 – 2 October 1906) was an Indian painter and artist. He is considered among the greatest painters in Indian art, the history of Indian art. His works are one of the bes ...

Puraskaram, their highest award. Artist Sathypal, the former chairman of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, has published a book, ''Mythic Imagination: Art of C.N. Karunakaran'', which covers Karaunakaran's work from 1950s to 2011.

Filmography

As art director

*'' Ashwadhamavu'' (1979) *''

'' (1984) *''

'' (1986) *''

'' (1988) *''

'' (1989)

As designer

*''

'' (1978)

As actor

*'' Ashwadhamavu'' (1979)

Solo exhibitions

The following is the list of his solo exhibitions of paintings. *

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Tamil Nadu, the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and territories of India, Indian state. The largest city ...

- 1968, 1975 & 1993 *

- 1970, 1984, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001 & 2005 *

Calicut Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...

- 1973, 1993 & 1998 *

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...

- 1995, 1996, 1998 & 2000 *

Jehangir Art Gallery Jehangir Art Gallery is an art gallery in Mumbai (India). It was founded by Sir Cowasji Jehangir at the urging of K. K. Hebbar and Homi Bhabha. It was built in 1952. Managed by the Committee of Management, the entire cost of this mansion was d ...

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

- 1996, 2000 & 2005 *Taj Art Gallery,

- 1997 & 2000 *The Gallery Leela,

- 1997 *ABC Art Gallery,

Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...

- 1999 *Galeria Ralino,

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to th ...

- 1999 *Art Konsult Gallery,

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the NCT Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati B ...

- 2000 *

Nehru Centre Nehru Centre is a centre to promote the teachings and ideals of the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, through educational and cultural programmes in the city of Mumbai, India. The Centre organises scientific, cultural and educat ...

-2001, 2004 *

Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south ...

- 2001 *

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of the same name, Brazil's List of Brazilian states by population, third-most populous state, and the List of largest citi ...

, Brazil - 2002 *Paraty, Brazil- 2002 *

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...

, Brazil - 2002 * Brasilia, Brazil - 2002 *

Embassy of India This is a list of diplomatic missions of India. India has one of the largest diplomatic networks, reflecting its links in the world and particularly in neighbouring regions: Central Asia, the Middle East, East Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, and ...

Washington DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, USA - 2003 *''Adithi'' Indian Cuisine, Washington DC, USA - 2003 *Asian Art Gallery,

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

- 2003 *Kuwait - 2003 * Travancore Gallery, New Delhi - 2006

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Karunakaran, C. N. 20th-century Indian painters Indian illustrators 1940 births 2013 deaths People from Thrissur district Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai alumni Indian art directors Painters from Kerala Indian advertising directors