C.N. Karunakaran | |
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Born | 1940 Brahmakulam, Thrissur, Kerala state, India |
Died | December 14, 2013 |
Occupation | Painter, art director |
Awards | Government of Madras Gold Medal for the Best outgoing student (1956) Madras Lalitha Kala Academy award (1964) Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy award (1971, 1972, 1975) P.T. Bhaskara Paniker Award (2000) Malayattoor Ramakrishnan Award (2003) Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy Fellowship (2005) |
C. N. Karunakaran (1940 – 14 December 2013) was a painter from India. He was the Chairman of the Kerala Lalitakala Academy. He was born in 1940 at Brahmakulam in Thrissur District of Kerala. Karunakaran received degrees in design and painting from the Government School of Arts and Crafts, Madras while studying under the tutelage of the renowned artists D.P. Roy Choudhari and K. C. S. Paniker. He died in Kochi on 14 December 2013 following a period of brief illness.
After completing his studies, Karunakaran worked as art director and made ad films in Chennai. He returned to Kerala in 1970, to take charge of Kalapeetom (Kerala Institute of Arts) in Kochi.
Karunakaran founded "Chitrakoodam", which was the first private art gallery in Kerala (1973 to 1977). He has worked as art director for Malayalam movies such as Aswathamavu, Ore Thooval Pakshikal, Akkare, Purushartham and Alicinte Anveshanam.
Karunakaran's illustrations have appeared in Manorama Weekly, Kalakaumudi, Kerala Kaumudi Weekly, Malayalanadu, Chintha, Deshabhimani Weekly, Kumkumam, Mathrubhumi Weekly, Bhashaposhini and India Today. They also appear in Lore and Legends of Kerala, selection from the Aithihyamala published by OUP.
An exhibition of his works was conducted at the Embassy of India in Washington on 5 September 2003. Following this start to his American tour, his works were displayed at the Aditi Indian Restaurant, also in Washington, D.C. Later these works were viewed at the Asian Art Gallery, Virginia.