Namboothiri (artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Namboothiri
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Artist Namboothiri in 2011
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K. M. Vasudevan Namboothiri
13 September 1925 Ponnani, Madras Presidency, British India
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| Died | 7 July 2023 (aged 97) Kottakkal, Malappuram district, Kerala, India
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| Known for | Painter, Sculptor |
| Spouse(s) | Mrinalini |
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| Patron(s) | K. C. S. Paniker, Debi Prasad Roy Chowdhury |
Karuvattu Mana Vasudevan Namboothiri (born September 13, 1925 – died July 7, 2023) was a famous Indian artist. Most people knew him simply as Namboothiri. He was well-known for his amazing line art and special copper artworks called relief works.
Namboothiri created illustrations for many popular Malayalam writers. Some of these writers include Thakazhy Shivasankara Pillai and M. T. Vasudevan Nair. He was considered one of the most active literary illustrators in the world. He also led the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, an art organization. This Akademi gave him the Raja Ravi Varma Award in 2003. He also won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Art Director for his work in films.
Contents
About Namboothiri: A Master Artist
Early Life and Artistic Journey
Namboothiri was born on September 13, 1925. His birthplace was Karuvattu Mana in Ponnani, Malappuram district, Kerala. He was the oldest son of Parameshwaran Namboothiri and Sreedevi Antharjanam.
As a child, he was inspired by the sculptures at the Sukapuram temple. This temple was very close to his home. Namboothiri once said, "I had this urge to draw and mould sculptures after seeing these."
Learning from the Masters
To study art, Namboothiri moved to Chennai. He received financial help from Krishnan Namboodiri of Varikkasseri Mana. He joined the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai. There, he learned from famous artists like Debi Prasad Roy Chowdhury. Chowdhury was the first principal of the college. He also studied under S. Dhanapal. During this time, he met K. C. S. Paniker, another artist who greatly influenced him.
Namboothiri earned two diplomas from the college in 1954. One was in fine arts, and the other in applied arts. He then spent some time at Cholamandal Artists' Village. This village was founded by K. C. S. Paniker. Namboothiri completed a six-year art course in just one year there.
Illustrating Stories for Everyone
In 1960, Namboothiri returned to Kerala. He joined Mathrubhumi weekly as a staff artist. He worked there until 1982. During these years, he illustrated stories for many major Malayalam writers. These included Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and V.K.N..
While at Mathrubhumi, he created a popular cartoon series. It was called Naniyammayum Lokavum. In 1982, he moved to Kalakaumudi weekly. He continued to provide illustrations there. Later, he worked for Samakalika Malayalam Vaarika.
Namboothiri was married to Mrinalini. They had two sons, Parameshawaran and Vasudevan. The family lived in Naduvattam, near Edappal. Namboothiri passed away on July 7, 2023, at the age of 97.
Namboothiri's Amazing Artworks
One of Namboothiri's first professional jobs was in Chennai. He helped K. C. S. Paniker create a very large painting. This painting was for the Indian Railways. Namboothiri became one of the world's most active literary illustrators.
Line Art and Metal Reliefs
After leaving Mathrubhumi, he started creating copper relief works. He held an exhibition of 12 of these unique artworks. He also made some of his most famous drawings at Kalakaumudi. These were illustrations for Randamoozham by M. T. Vasudevan Nair. He later said these illustrations made him feel very satisfied.
Namboothiri's illustrations of characters were so good that writer V. K. N. called him the Paramashivan of line sketches. This means "The Lord Shiva of Line Drawings," showing how much he admired Namboothiri's skill. Namboothiri also supported "finger painting."
Among his copper relief works, he created a series called Lohabharata. These were based on events from the Mahabharata. He also made works based on Parayi Petta Panthirukulam. He created large sculptures for Cholamandal. These include Modern Family on a Scooter and Maithuna. He also made a very long outdoor drawing, 500 feet long. It showed scenes from the Indian freedom movement.
Documenting Cities with Art
Namboothiri served as the chairman of the Kerala Lalitakala Academy twice. During his time, the academy built its own building in Thrissur. He also helped turn the Durbar Hall Ground in Kochi into an art gallery. He started a project called Nagarangal (The Cities). His goal was to draw pictures of Kerala's cities. He began this project with Kochi.
Awards and Recognition
G. Aravindan, a famous film director and cartoonist, was Namboothiri's friend. When Aravindan made his first movie, Uttarayanam, he asked Namboothiri to be the art director. The film won five Kerala State Film Awards in 1974. Namboothiri received the Kerala State Film Award for Best Art Director for his work on the film.
The Kerala Lalithakala Akademi gave Namboothiri the Raja Ravi Varma Award in 2003. He was the third person to receive this important award. The Kerala State Institute for Children's Literature gave him the Bala Sahitya Award in 2004. This was for his excellent illustrations in Kuttikalude Ramayanam (Ramayana for children).
Films and Children's Books
A documentary film was made about Namboothiri's life. It is called Namboodiri-Varayude Kulapathy. This means "Namboodiri — The Emperor of Lines." The 44-minute film covers his life from childhood to his eighties. It was directed by Binuraj Kalapeedhom.
Two books have also been published about him. Varayum Vaakkum (Lines and Words) is a book by N. P. Vijayakrishnan. It shares Namboothiri's memories and some of his drawings. Another book, Namboothiriyude Sthreekal (The Women of Namboothiri), also by Vijayakrishan, features many of his line drawings of women.
Gallery
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Metal relief 1
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Metal relief 2
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Metal relief 3
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Metal relief 5
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Metal relief 6
