KathrinChick016 at 12:51, 19 March 2025

2025-03-19T12:51:10Z

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{{Short description|Indian artist (1915–2004)}}

{{Not to be confused with|A. Perumal|Azhagam Perumal}}'''A. Perumal''' (1915 – 2004) was an Indian artist associated with the [[Bengal School of Art]]. Known for his efforts to make art accessible to tribal communities in and around [[Shantiniketan]], he worked extensively as a painter and sculptor.

Perumal was born in Ammapatti, a village near [[Uthamapalayam]] in [[Theni district]], [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2015-11-25 |title=The Artist whom Madurai Forgot |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/the-artist-whom-madurai-forgot/article7916058.ece |access-date=2025-01-08 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> After losing his parents at a young age, he faced significant challenges but excelled in his studies. At 16, he was sent to Shantiniketan by a local freedom fighter.<ref name=":0" /> At Shantiniketan, he studied under [[Rabindranath Tagore]] and received training from artists [[Benode Behari Mukherjee]] and [[Nandalal Bose]].<ref name=":0" />

Perumal’s body of work included paintings, sculptures, murals, and frescoes created using various media such as watercolors, tempera, ink, wood, and ceramic tiles. His art often depicted Indian landscapes, rural life, and tribal culture, reflecting the stylistic influences of the Bengal School.<ref name=":0" />

Committed to making art accessible, Perumal painted murals on the walls of tribal huts in [[Santal people|Santhal]] villages, creating what his mentor Nandalal Bose referred to as a "wayside gallery." These murals were intended to integrate art into the daily lives of local communities.<ref name=":0" /> Perumal did not hold formal exhibitions or sell his work, as he believed his art belonged to the public rather than private collectors.<ref name=":0" /> His works were preserved posthumously, primarily through the efforts of the [[Aravind Eye Hospitals|Aravind Eye Hospital]] in [[Madurai]].<ref name=":0" />

He spent much of his career at [[Kala Bhavana|Kalabhavan]], Shantiniketan’s art school, where he served as a faculty member for nearly four decades.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Isvarmurti |first=V. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PIDmAAAAMAAJ |title=Life and Art of C.N. Vasudevan, Tamil Dancer, and Tagore |date=1986 |publisher=Vikas Publishing House |isbn=978-0-7069-2838-9 |pages=59 |language=en}}</ref> In addition to his visual art, Perumal contributed to art literature by translating Nandalal Bose’s book on art into Tamil under the title ''Theneer Kalai''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-12-02 |title=A people's painter |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/a-peoples-painter/article7940863.ece |access-date=2025-01-08 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

One of Perumal’s significant contributions is his involvement in the illustrations for the ''[[Constitution of India]]''. Part 19 of the Constitution, which deals with Miscellaneous provisions, features an illustration of [[Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose]] saluting in military attire, surrounded by troops. The artwork includes Nandalal Bose's signature, with Perumal's signature visible in the lower-left corner.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shekhawat |first=Gajendra Singh |date=2024-12-04 |title=Indian Constitution as an aesthetic document |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/indian-constitution-as-an-aesthetic-document-101733323546574.html |access-date=2025-01-08 |work=Hindustan Times}}</ref>

In 1999, poet and art critic Indran published ''Taking His Art to Tribals: Art and Life of A. Perumal of Santiniketan'', documenting his contributions.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OtUjAQAAMAAJ |title=Kisan World |date=1999 |publisher=Sakthi Sugars, Limited |pages=1999–47 |language=en}}</ref> Perumal died in 2004.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Indian artists]]
[[Category:Indian painters]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perumal, A.}}
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]

{{India-artist-stub}}

A. Perumal artist - Revision history

KathrinChick016 at 12:51, 19 March 2025