M. V. Devan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
M. V. Devan
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Madhathil Vasudevan
15 January 1928 Panniyannur, Tellicherry, Malabar district, Madras Presidency, British India
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| Died | 29 April 2014 (aged 86) |
| Occupation | Painter, sculptor, writer, art critic, orator |
| Spouse(s) | Sreedevi |
| Children | Jameela M Devan, Shalini M Devan |
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Madathil Vasudevan, known to many as M. V. Devan (born January 15, 1928 – died April 29, 2014), was a talented Indian painter, sculptor, writer, and art critic. He was also a great speaker. Besides his art, he was famous for designing buildings for cultural places. He also helped start important art centers like Kerala Kalapeetom and Malayala Kalagramam.
M. V. Devan was once the chairman of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi. He received many awards for his work. These include the Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram, the Vayalar Award, and the Mathrubhumi Literary Award.
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Early Life and Education
M. V. Devan was born on January 15, 1928. His birthplace was Panniyannur, a small village in Thalassery, Kerala. After finishing high school in 1946, he moved to Madras. There, he wanted to study painting.
He joined the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai. He learned from famous artists like D. P. Roy Choudhury and K. C. S. Paniker. They were the principal and vice principal of the college. During this time, he also met M. Govindan, who greatly influenced his ideas. After his studies, he returned to Kerala. He became very active in art, culture, and writing.
Devan was married to Sreedevi. They had two daughters, Jameela and Shalini. M. V. Devan passed away on April 29, 2014, at his home in Aluva. He was 86 years old. His wife had passed away before him.
Career and Contributions
After returning from Chennai in 1952, M. V. Devan joined the Mathrubhumi newspaper. He worked as a staff artist in their Kozhikode office until 1961. Then, he became an art consultant for Southern Languages Book Trust in Chennai.
A year later, he helped start the Lalit Kala Akademi in Chennai. He became its first secretary. During his time there, the academy became a meeting place for artists. This inspired the creation of the Cholamandal Artists' Village. Devan was also a founder member of this village.
Later, he worked at the academy's New Delhi office. There, he met M. K. K. Nair, a civil servant. They worked together to organize the All India Writers’ Conference in Aluva. Nair then invited Devan to work as an art consultant for FACT. This was the Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Limited. Devan worked there until 1972.
Architectural Designs
From 1974 to 1977, Devan was the chairman of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi. At the same time, he ran his own architectural design company called Perunthachan. He focused on building homes and other structures that were friendly to the environment. His designs were also cost-effective. He designed about 450 buildings, including auditoriums, hotels, and churches. He was a pioneer in this field, even before Laurie Baker became famous for similar ideas.
Founding Cultural Centers
After his time at the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, Devan continued to be involved in arts and culture. In 1967, he helped start Nadaka Kalari. This was a theatre group in Vaikom. He worked with other important figures like M. Govindan and C. N. Sreekantan Nair.
In 1978, Devan founded Kerala Kalapeedom. This was an art and cultural center in Kochi. Many famous artists like T. Kaladharan and Artist Namboothiri were part of it. He also helped create two art villages: Malayala Kalagramam in New Mahe and Kalagramam in Kollam.
Devan was also involved with several literary magazines. These included Navashakti, Gopuram, and Sameeksha. In 2001, he collected his essays into a book called Devaspandanam.
Artistic Legacy
M. V. Devan's paintings and sculptures have been shown in many places across India. T. Kaladharan, one of his students, created a catalog of Devan's works. This book, titled Remembering M. V. Devan, was published by the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi.
In 2019, Devan's family started the ‘M V Devan Puraskaram’ award. This award honors great artists in visual arts. The first award was given to artist NKP Muthukoya on April 29, 2019. This date marks Devan's death anniversary.
Awards and Recognition
M. V. Devan's book, Devaspandanam, is considered one of his most important works. It won the Vayalar Award in 2000. In 2003, it also received the Mathrubhumi Literary Award. The book later won the Malayattoor Award too.
In 2002, he received the Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram from the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi. He also received fellowships from both the Kerala academy and the Chennai Lalit Kala Akademi. Other awards he received include the Critics Award and the M. K. K. Nair Award.
On the first anniversary of his death, an event called Remembering Devan was held in Kochi. It included talks and an exhibition of Devan's paintings. Works by other famous artists like Tyeb Mehta and F. N. Souza were also shown. Binuraj Kalapeedam, one of Devan's students, made a documentary about his life. It is also called Devaspandanam, just like Devan's award-winning book.
