C. N. Karunakaran

• Name — C.N. Karunakaran • Born — 1940 • Birthplace — Brahmakulam, Thrissur, Kerala, India • Died — 14 December 2013 • Place of death — Kochi, Kerala • Resting Place — Corporation of Cochin Ravipuram Crematorium • Occupation — Painter, art director, illustrator • Spouse — Easwari • Children — 2 • Awards — * 1956 Tamil Nadu State Gold Medal • 1964 Madras Lalit Kala Academy Award • 1971 Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Award • 1972 Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Award • 1975 Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Award) • 2000 P. T. Bhaskara Panicker Award • 2003 Malayattoor Ramakrishnan Award • 2005 Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Fellowship

C. N. Karunakaran was born in 1940 at Brahmakulam, a village near Guruvayur in Thrissur District of Kerala. He contracted typhoid while he was a child and the complications from the disease crippled him in one of his legs. Through most of his childhood, he was undergoing ayurvedic treatment, because of which he could not pursue academic studies. His formal training in art was at the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai where he learned under such as D. P. Roy Choudhury and K. C. S. Paniker to secure two diplomas; one in design and another in advanced painting. He stayed in Chennai after his studies, making advertisement films and working as an art director in a few Malayalam films. In 1970, he shifted his base to Kochi where he became involved with Kerala Kalapeedom (Kerala Institute of Arts). Here, he had the opportunity to interact with a host of like-minded people such as M. V. Devan, Kanayi Kunhiraman, A. C. K. Raja, Namboothiri, K. P. Soman, M. K. K. Nair, C. N. Sreekantan Nair, M. K. Sanu, Pattathuvila Karunakaran, M. Thomas Mathew and T. Ramachandran. Three years later, he founded Chitrakoodam, the first privately owned art gallery in Kerala, but the initiative ran only for four years until 1977. He was also involved with Ochre, another private art gallery in Kochi. Subsequently, he focused his career mainly on painting and illustrations; Manorama Weekly, Kalakaumudi, Kerala Kaumudi Weekly, Malayalanadu, Chintha, Deshabhimani Weekly, Kumkumam, Mathrubhumi Weekly, Bhashaposhini and India Today were some of the publications he illustrated for. He also illustrated Lore and Legends of Kerala, the English translation of Aithihyamala, published by Oxford University Press. Karaunakaran as married to Easwari, and the couple had a son, Ayillyan and a daughter, Ammini. He died in Kochi on 14 December 2013, at the age of 73, succumbing to cardiac failure following a brief period of illness. He was cremated at the Corporation of Cochin Ravipuram Crematorium. His son, Ayillyan Karunakaran, is an advertisement filmmaker.

• Ashwadhamavu (1979) • Akkare (1984) • Purushartham (1986) • Ore Thooval Pakshikal (1988) • Alicinte Anveshanam (1989)

• Ekakini (1978)

• Ashwadhamavu (1979)

• Illustration — Karunakaran at Vidyarangam State Sahityolsavam, Alwaye The following is a list of his solo exhibitions of paintings. • 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 • Brasília, Brazil - 2002 • Embassy of India Washington DC, USA - 2003 • Adithi Indian Cuisine, Washington DC, USA - 2003 • Asian Art Gallery, Vienna - 2003 • Kuwait City - 2003 • Travancore Gallery, New Delhi - 2006

What the record establishes about C. Karunakaran is recorded as a citizen of Dominion of India. Karunakaran is recorded with the occupation painter. The identifiers under which C. Karunakaran may be traced in institutional catalogues.