A. Ramachandran

Not to be confused with the incumbent mayor of Salem, Tamil Nadu A. Ramachandran (politician).

A. Ramachandran
Ramachandran in 2012
Honorary Chairman of
Kerala Lalithakala Akademi
In office
1991–?
Personal details
BornAchutan Ramachandran Nair
1935 (1935)
Attingal, Kingdom of Travancore, British India (now Kerala, India)
Died (aged 89)
New Delhi, NCT of Delhi, India
CitizenshipIndian
NationalityMalayali
SpouseTan Yuan Chameli
RelationsTan Yun-Shan (father-in-law)
Residence(s)New Delhi, India
EducationMA (in Malayalam literature)
PhD (in Kerala mural painting)
Alma materKala Bhavan
ProfessionPainter
Awards Padma Bhushan
Noma Concours (twice)

Achutan Ramachandran Nair (1935 – 10 February 2024) was an Indian painter. He was born in Attingal, Kerala. In 2002 he was elected a Fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi. In 2005 he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour, for outstanding service to the nation.[1] In 2013 he was conferred with an honorary doctorate by Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala.[2]

Career

In 1957, he obtained his master's degree in Malayalam literature, but art had remained a continuing interest since childhood. He joined Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan and completed his education in art in 1961, studying under masters like Ramkinkar Baij, and Benode Behari Mukherjee.[3] Between 1961 and 1964 he worked on his doctoral thesis on Kerala mural painting. In 1964 he moved to Delhi, and joined the Kumar Gallery as an artist. In 1965 he started lecturing in art education at Jamia Millia Islamia. Later he became a professor in the same department, and remained attached to the university until his voluntary retirement in 1992.

In 1991, he was appointed honorary chairman of Kerala Lalithakala Akademi. In 1993 Ramachandran and art historian/conservator Rupika Chawla mounted an exhibition at the National Museum in New Delhi, as part of a critical reassessment of Raja Ravi Varma’s role in Indian art. The exhibition was organised jointly by the National Museum, Department of Culture, Government of India, Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala, Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, and the National Museum Institute. In 1994 Ramachandran received Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram from the Government of Kerala. In 2000 he received Gagan-Abani Puraskar from his alma mater, Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan. In 2001 he received Manaviyam Award from Manaviyam Cultural Mission, Government of Kerala. In 2002 he was elected a Fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi. In 2003 he received the Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram from the Government of Kerala. In 2005 he was awarded the Padma Bhushan. Also in 2005 he was named Professor Emeritus at Jamia Millia Islamia University. In 2013 he was conferred an Honorary Doctor of Letters by Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, for his contributions to art and art education in India. In 2018 he received the Kalidas Samman from the Government of Madhya Pradesh.

In October 2025 the A. Ramachandran Museum was inaugurated at the Sree Narayana Guru Cultural Complex in Kollam, Kerala.

Personal life and death

Ramachandran lived and worked in New Delhi. He married artist Tan Yuan Chameli, daughter of Tan Yun-Shan, in 1967. Their two children were raised and educated in New Delhi. Ramachandran died on 10 February 2024, at the age of 89.[4]

Work

Initially, Ramachandran painted in an expressionist style which poignantly reflected the hardship and horrors of urban life. The paintings were large, akin to murals, and comprised powerful figuration. By the 1980s however, Ramachandran's work had undergone a sea-change. Urban reality was no longer a preoccupation. A tribal community in Rajasthan, with its vibrant ethos, gripped his imagination. Simultaneously, the colours and forms of the murals in the Kerala temples began to influence his modes of expression. Myths became a great resource for him. The first in this new style was ‘Yayati’, a retelling of this story from the Indian epic Mahabharata. It was conceived as the inner shrine of a Kerala temple, with thirteen bronze sculptures surrounded on three sides by painted murals, 60 by 8 feet in total size.

As a painter, Ramachandran's strong command over lines, colours and forms create an exciting visual drama. His canvases are vibrant with a sense of teeming, burgeoning life. The artist's quirky sense of irony imbues his paintings with a piquancy and feeling of new discoveries. And, as one who considered Ramkinkar Baij as his guru, Ramachandran has created sculptures which are as intriguing as his paintings.

In 1963 Ramachandran participated in a group showing in New Delhi. In 1966 Ramachandran’s first solo exhibition was held at the Kumar Gallery, New Delhi. From 1967 through 1970 there were four more solo exhibitions. During those and subsequent years his works were featured in numerous group exhibitions in India, and some overseas. In 1969 and 1973 he received a National Award for painting from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

In 1975 and again in 1977 a one-man show of Ramachandran’s works was held in New Delhi. In 1976 he visited USSR and Poland with Geeta Kapur and Bhupen Khakhar on a cultural exchange programme.

In 1977 he was commissioned to do a mural and sculpture by the Maurya Sheraton Hotel, New Delhi. The resulting work was “Vision of War”: the mural 12 by 5 feet, the sculpture of Asoka bronze and zinc plates mounted on mirror, 6 feet tall.

In 1978 a retrospective exhibition showcasing Ramachandran’s 13 years of work in New Delhi was organised by the Kumar Gallery. In 1979 his works were featured in the Silver Jubilee Exhibition of Sculptures in New Delhi, as well as in exhibitions in Bombay, Madras and Calcutta. Ramachandran created a limited-edition portfolio of etchings inspired by the Urdu writings of Pakistani writer Saadat Hasan Manto, exhibited at the Prithvi Theater, Mumbai.

In 1980 he participated in the Silver Jubilee exhibition of miniature paintings in New Delhi, Bombay, Madras and Calcutta. In 1981 Ramachandran created a series of miniature paintings in tempera on Japanese gold boards, and held ‘Puppet Theatre, an exhibition of paints and drawings based on a novel by Anwar Sajjad, at the Dhoomimal Gallery in New Delhi. Also in 1981 he participated in the ‘Indian Painting Today’ exhibition in Mumbai and at Asian Art in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Ramachandran designed six sets of commemoration stamps for the Government of India, including to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the Bureau of Indian Standards (1972), Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi March (1980), and the Asian Games (1982).

In 1982 Ramachandran participated in the Contemporary Indian Art exhibition in London, and the ‘India, Myth and Reality’ show that followed. Also that year he created ‘Modern Indian Painting’ for the visit of the Prime Minister of India to Washington DC. He participated in the inaugural exhibition of Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, and in the ‘Indiche Kunst Heute’ exhibition in Germany. In 1983 a retrospective exhibition of 18 years of Ramachandran’s paintings, sculptures, drawings, miniatures and graphics was held at the Jehangir Art Gallery in Bombay. His works were featured in the ‘India in Print’ show in Amsterdam, and in the Asian Art exhibition in Dhaka. In 1984 he created ‘Water Bodies’, a set of eight ceramic pieces. From 1984-86 Ramachandran worked on ‘Yayati’, a three-panel mural (60 feet by 8 feet) accompanied by 13 bronze sculptures that was exhibited at the Shridharani Gallery in New Delhi in 1986.

In 1985-87 Ramachandran participated in the International Festival of Arts, Cagnes-sur-Mer, France; the ‘Contemporary Indian Painting’ exhibition at the Frankfurt Book Fair; the Havana Biennale, Cuba; and the Coup de Cœur exhibition in Geneva. In 1989 he participated in ‘Nature’, an exhibition in New Delhi commemorating the birth centenary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. From 1989-91 his works featured in the exhibitions ‘Art for Cry’, ‘Art Mosaic’ and ‘Award Winners of the National Exhibitions of Art, 1955-1990’.

In 1991, 'Urvashi, Pururavas and the Lotus Pond', an exhibition of Ramachandran's paintings, watercolours, drawings and sculptures was held at the Shridharani Gallery, New Delhi. In 1994-95 the exhibition 'Reality in Search of Myth' was held in Calcutta, Bangalore, Madras, Bombay and New Delhi. In 1994 Ramachandran was commissioned by the Government of India to create the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial at Sri Perumbudur, Tamil Nadu. In 1996 'The Mythical Traveller, Journeys into the Unknown' solo show was held at the ARKS Gallery in London, England. In 1997, 'The Lotus Pond at Obeshwar', an exhibition of paintings and watercolours, was held at Sistas’ Art Gallery, Bangalore. In 1998 the 'Icons of the Raw Earth' dual exhibition was held in New Delhi (bronze sculptures and drawings at the Shridharani Gallery; paintings and watercolours at Art Today).

In 2001 'Imagined Territory', a solo show of Ramachandran's paintings, drawings, and sculptures was held at the Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi. In 2002, his 'Yayati' murals and sculptural installations were exhibited at Art Heritage, 16 years after their first showing. In 2003, after almost a decade of effort, the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial in Sri Perumbudur was completed. Ramachandran designed the bas-relief sculpture, which measures 125 feet by almost 20 feet. Also in 2003 Ramachandran's works were part of the ‘Celebration of Colour’ exhibition organised by Vadehra Art Gallery and the Times of India, presented in Mumbai and New Delhi. In 2003-04 the National Gallery of Modern Art organised a retrospective exhibition of Ramachandran’s works in New Delhi.

In 2006 a second major exhibition of Ramachandran’s paintings, drawings, watercolours and sculptures was held in Kolkata, and another solo show was held in New Delhi. In 2007 'Face to Face', an exhibition of his watercolours and oil head studies, was held at the Guild Gallery in New York. He participated in 'From the Everyday to the Imagined: An Exhibition of Indian Art' in Singapore, and in 'Inverting/Inventing Traditions' in London.

In 2008 a solo show of his paintings, sculptures, watercolours and drawings was held at Grosvenor Vadehra Gallery, London. That same year an exhibit of his works was held in Mumbai, and he participated in 'From the Everyday to the Imagined: An Exhibition of Indian Art' in Seoul, South Korea. With Pramod Chandra and Sonia Rhie Mace, he organized ‘Rhythms of India: The Art of Nandalal Bose’ in San Diego, USA. In 2009 'Bahurupi', a display of his works from 2005 to 2009, was held in New Delhi. In 2010 he participated in 'The Modern Art of India: The Ethos of Modernity' in China. In 2013 Ramachandran participated in ‘Rewriting the Landscape: India and China’, an exhibition of works by important artists from India and China, held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, South Korea.

In 2014 a retrospective exhibition of two thousand drawings, sketches and studies was held at Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi. In 2016 The National Gallery of Modern Art in Bengaluru hosted a retrospective of Ramachandran’s paintings, sculptures, watercolours, drawings and graphics. Also that year 'Earthen Pot: Image Poems', a display featuring 21 coloured drawings, was held in New Delhi. In 2017-18 Ramachandran’s painting 'Homage to the Setting Sun' was displayed in the Indian section, alongside classical Indian sculptures, at the Cleveland Museum of Art, USA. In 2018 'Changing Moods of the Lotus Pond and Insignificant Incarnations', a two-part exhibition of recent works, was held in New Delhi.

In 2019 'Mahatma and the Lotus Pond', an exhibition of Ramachandran’s paintings, sculptures, watercolours and drawings, was held in Kochi. That year a retrospective of his 50 years of art output was exhibited at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai. In 2021 two shows of his drawings, 'A Lifetime of Lines' and 'Gandhi: Loneliness of the Great', and a two-part exhibition of recent oil paintings, 'Subaltern Nayika and the Lotus Pond', were held in New Delhi. In 2022 'Songs of Reclamation: The Art of A. Ramachandran', an exhibition featuring a number of his works in different mediums and scales, took place in Kolkata. In 2023 'A. Ramachandran: A Retrospective of Sculptures', was held in New Delhi.

Publications

In 2003, the National Gallery of Modern Art (New Delhi) organized a major retrospective of Ramachandran's work. A comprehensive two-volume book ‘A. Ramachandran: A Retrospective’, by R. Siva Kumar, documenting and analyzing his works, was released simultaneously.

In 2014 a retrospective of Ramachandran's drawings, sketches and studies was held at Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi. Accompanying the event, a two-volume book, 'A. Ramachandran: Life and Art in Lines', edited by R. Siva Kumar, was released.

Ramachandran was the author of an extensive study on Kerala temple murals (‘Painted Abode of Gods: Mural Traditions of Kerala’ – 2006). In 2012 Ramachandran wrote 'Ram Kinkar: The Man and the Artist' (on Ramkinkar Baij), published by the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi. He has also written many articles in English which have been translated into other languages, including Japanese and his mother tongue, Malayalam. In 2010 a collection of his articles, 'Aannottam' (Male Gaze), translated by P. Sudhakaran, was published by Kairali Books, Kerala. Ramachandran has written books in Malayalam, and for six months in 2002 did a weekly column on art and art education for the Malayala Manorama.

Ramachandran wrote and illustrated numerous picture books for children published in India, Japan, Britain and the United States. He received the Noma Concours Award in 1978 and 1980. Some of the original illustrations from these books are on permanent display at the Museum of Children's Books in Miyazaki, Japan. In 1981 he illustrated writings of Anwar Sajjad and other Urdu writers.

Selected books and documentaries on A. Ramachandran

  • Ramachandran: Art of the Muralist, Rupika Chawla, A Kala Yatra /Sista's Publication, 1994
  • Ramachandran, Icons of the Raw Earth, Rupika Chawla, A Kala Yatra Publication, 1998
  • The Art of A Ramachandran, Ella Dutta, Pocket Art Series, Roli Books, 2000
  • Ramachandrante Kala (in Malayalam), P. Surendran, Kala Yatra Publication, 2001. Won the Kerala Lalita Kala Akademi's first award for art criticism.
  • A. Ramachandran: A Retrospective, R. Siva Kumar, National Gallery of Modern Art and Vadehra Art Gallery, Vols. I & II, 2003
  • World of the Lotus Pond, documentary feature by K. Vikram Singh, 2004
  • A. Ramachandran: Life and Art in Lines, R. Siva Kumar, Vadehra Art Gallery and Lalit Kala Akademi, Vol. I (1958-1987) & Vol. II (1988-2014), 2014

References

  1. ^ The artist's website
  2. ^ "M G varsity in Kerala honours CNR Rao, N Ram". Business Standard. 21 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  3. ^ Kalidas, S. "RAMACHANDRAN: Idyll Recreated". India Today.
  4. ^ Artist A Ramachandran dies from prolonged illness at 89 The Week
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