C. N. Karunakaran facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
C.N. Karunakaran
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| Born | 1940 |
| Died | 14 December 2013 (aged 73) Kochi, Kerala
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| Resting place | Corporation of Cochin Ravipuram Crematorium |
| Occupation | Painter, art director, illustrator |
| Spouse(s) | Easwari |
| Children | A son and a daughter |
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C. N. Karunakaran (born 1940 – died 2013) was a famous Indian artist. He was a talented painter, illustrator, and art director from Kerala. He led the Kerala Lalitakala Academy, which is a big art organization. He also won many awards, including the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Award three times! In 2005, the Academy gave him a special fellowship honor.
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About C. N. Karunakaran
C. N. Karunakaran was born in 1940 in a small village called Brahmakulam. This village is near Guruvayur in Thrissur District, Kerala. When he was a child, he got very sick with typhoid. This illness affected one of his legs. For much of his childhood, he had traditional ayurvedic treatments. Because of this, he couldn't go to regular school much.
His Art Education
He learned art formally at the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai. He studied under famous artists like D. P. Roy Choudhury and K. C. S. Paniker. He earned two special diplomas there. One was in design, and the other was in advanced painting.
Life and Work in Art
After finishing his studies, he stayed in Chennai for a while. He made films for advertisements. He also worked as an art director for some Malayalam movies. In 1970, he moved to Kochi. There, he joined a group called Kerala Kalapeedom (Kerala Institute of Arts). This was a great chance to meet other artists and creative people.
Three years later, he started Chitrakoodam. This was the first art gallery owned by a private person in Kerala. It was open for four years, until 1977. He also worked with another art gallery in Kochi called Ochre.
Later, he focused mostly on painting and drawing pictures for books and magazines. He illustrated for many popular publications. These included Manorama Weekly, Kalakaumudi, Mathrubhumi Weekly, and India Today. He also drew pictures for the English version of Aithihyamala. This book is about old stories and legends of Kerala.
Family and Later Life
Karunakaran was married to Easwari. They had a son named Ayillyan and a daughter named Ammini. He passed away in Kochi on December 14, 2013. He was 73 years old. He died from heart problems after being sick for a short time. His son, Ayillyan Karunakaran, also works in films, making advertisements.
His Artistic Contributions
One of the first big jobs Karunakaran did after returning to Kerala was restoring murals. These are large wall paintings at the Guruvayur temple. He showed his art in many exhibitions. These were both solo shows (just his work) and group shows (with other artists). He exhibited his art in many places in India and around the world. Some places included the Embassy of India in Washington, the Asian Art Gallery in Virginia, and cities in Brazil like Rio de Janeiro. He also showed his art in Vienna and Kuwait.
While he was in Chennai, he helped the Madras Design Demonstration Centre. This center worked to improve handicrafts. He also illustrated many books.
Work in Films
Karunakaran first worked in films in 1978. He designed the sets and look for the movie Ekakini. The next year, he started his career as an art director for the film Ashwadhamavu. He even had a small acting part in that movie! He went on to work on four more films as an art director. These included Akkare (1984) and Alicinte Anveshanam (1989).
Awards and Special Recognitions
When he was a student at the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai, he was very good. He won the gold medal from the Government of Madras in 1956. This was for being the best graduating student. Before he came back to Kerala, he won another award. It was the annual award from Madras Lalit Kala Akademi in 1964.
He received the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Award three times. He won it in 1971, 1972, and again in 1975. In 2000, he received the P. T. Bhaskara Panicker Award. In 2003, he got the Malayattoor Ramakrishnan Award. The Kerala Lalithakala Akademi gave him a special fellowship honor in 2005. In 2009, they gave him their highest award, the Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram. An artist named Sathypal wrote a book about Karunakaran's art. It is called Mythic Imagination: Art of C.N. Karunakaran.
Film Work
As Art Director
- Ashwadhamavu (1979)
- Akkare (1984)
- Purushartham (1986)
- Ore Thooval Pakshikal (1988)
- Alicinte Anveshanam (1989)
As Designer
- Ekakini (1978)
As Actor
- Ashwadhamavu (1979)
Solo Art Exhibitions
C. N. Karunakaran held many solo exhibitions of his paintings. Here are some of the places where he showed his work:
- Madras - 1968, 1975 & 1993
- Kochi - 1970, 1984, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001 & 2005
- Calicut - 1973, 1993 & 1998
- Thiruvananthapuram - 1995, 1996, 1998 & 2000
- Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai - 1996, 2000 & 2005
- Taj Art Gallery, Mumbai - 1997 & 2000
- The Gallery Leela, Mumbai - 1997
- ABC Art Gallery, Varanasi - 1999
- Galeria Ralino, Goa - 1999
- Art Konsult Gallery, New Delhi - 2000
- Nehru Centre, Mumbai-2001, 2004
- Kottayam- 2001
- Thrissur- 2001
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 2002
- Paraty, Brazil- 2002
- São Paulo, Brazil - 2002
- Brasilia, Brazil - 2002
- Embassy of India Washington DC, USA - 2003
- Adithi Indian Cuisine, Washington DC, USA - 2003
- Asian Art Gallery, Vienna - 2003
- Kuwait - 2003
- Travancore Gallery, New Delhi - 2006
