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{{short description|Indian painter and illustrator}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = C.N. Karunakaran
| image = C.n.karunakaran.JPG
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = 1940
| birth_place = Brahmakulam, [[Thrissur]], [[Kerala]], India
| death_date = {{death date and age|2013|12|14|1940|1|1}}
| death_place = [[Kochi]], Kerala
| restingplace = [[Corporation of Cochin]] [[Ravipuram]] Crematorium
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| occupation = [[Painter]], [[art director]], illustrator
| yearsactive =
| spouse = Easwari
| domesticpartner =
| children = A son and a daughter
| parents =
| influences =
| influenced =
| website =
| awards = {{ubl|1956 [[Government of Tamil Nadu|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''' (1940 – 14 December 2013) was an Indian painter, illustrator and art director from [[Kerala]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Special Correspondent |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/artist-c-n-karunakaran-passes-away/article5459666.ece |title=Artist C. N. Karunakaran passes away |publisher=The Hindu |date= 14 December 2013|accessdate=2013-12-14 |location=Chennai, India}}</ref> He was the Chairman of the [[Kerala Lalitakala Academy]] and a recipient of several honours including the [[Kerala Lalithakala Akademi]] Award which he won thrice. The Akademi honoured him again with the fellowship in 2005.

== Biography ==
C. N. Karunakaran was born in 1940 at Brahmakulam, a village near [[Guruvayur]] in [[Thrissur]] District of [[Kerala]].<ref name="C. N. Karunakaran - Kerala Tourism profile">{{Cite web |url=https://www.keralatourism.org/leadinglights/cn-karunakaran/7 |title=C. N. Karunakaran - Kerala Tourism profile |date=2019-03-15 |website=Kerala Tourism |language=en |access-date=2019-03-15}}</ref> He contracted [[typhoid]] while he was a child and the complications from the disease crippled him in one of his legs.<ref name="Painter CN Karunakaran dies">{{Cite web |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/131215/news-current-affairs/article/painter-cn-karunakaran-dies |title=Painter CN Karunakaran dies |date=2013-12-15 |website=Deccan Chronicle |language=en |access-date=2019-03-15}}</ref> Through most of his childhood, he was undergoing [[ayurvedic]] treatment because of which he could not pursue academic studies.<ref name="Profile - CN Karunakaran: The artist and his world - Padma Jayaraj">{{Cite web |url=http://www.narthaki.com/info/profiles/profl138.html |title=Profile - CN Karunakaran: The artist and his world - Padma Jayaraj |website=www.narthaki.com |access-date=2019-03-15}}</ref> 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.<ref name="C. N. Karunakaran - Kerala Tourism profile" />

He stayed in Chennai even after his studies, making advertisement films and working as an art director in a few Malayalam films.<ref name="Artist C. N. Karunakaran passes away">{{Cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/artist-c-n-karunakaran-passes-away/article5459666.ece |title=Artist C. N. Karunakaran passes away |date=2013-12-14 |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |access-date=2019-03-15}}</ref> 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 (artist)|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<ref name="C.N.Karunakaran - Artist Information by Art Kerala">{{Cite web |url=http://www.artkerala.com/artist_info/Artist_item.asp?Artist_ID=52 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060530004220/http://www.artkerala.com/artist_info/Artist_item.asp?Artist_ID=52 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2006-05-30 |title=C.N.Karunakaran - Artisit Information by Art Kerala |date=2006-05-30 |access-date=2019-03-16}}</ref> but the initiative ran only for four years until 1977. He was also involved with ''Ochre'', another private art gallery in Kochi.<ref name="C. N. Karunakaran - Kerala Tourism profile" /> 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.<ref name="‘Profile on defunct web page - archived copy">{{Cite web |url=http://www.cnkarunakaran.com/home.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070501043845/http://www.cnkarunakaran.com/home.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-05-01 |title=Profile on defunct web page - archived copy |date=2019-03-15 |access-date=2019-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=C.N. Karunakaran Profile|url=http://www.chaithanya-artgallery.com/5/C.N-KARUNAKARAN-profile.html|publisher=Chaithanya Art Gallery|access-date=17 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091202111517/http://www.chaithanya-artgallery.com/5/C.N-KARUNAKARAN-profile.html|archive-date=2 December 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> He also illustrated ''Lore and Legends of Kerala'', the English translation of ''[[Aithihyamala]]'', published by [[Oxford University Press]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://india.oup.com/product/lore-and-legends-of-kerala-9780195698893?searchbox_input=Lore%2520And%2520Legends%2520Of%2520Kerala |title=Lore and Legends of Kerala |work=india.oup.com |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2008 |isbn=9780195698893 |access-date=2019-03-15}}</ref>

Karaunakaran as married to Easwari, and the couple had a son, Ayillyan and a daughter, Ammini.<ref name="Painter CN Karunakaran dies" /> He died in [[Kochi]] on December 14, 2013, at the age of 73, succumbing to cardiac failure following a brief period of illness.<ref name="Artist C. N. Karunakaran passes away" /> The body was cremated at the Corporation of Cochin Ravipuram Crematorium.<ref name="Painter CN Karunakaran dies" /> His son, Ayillyan Karunakaran, is an advertisement filmmaker.<ref name="‘Keeping Him Alive’: Works of artist Karunakaran on display">{{Cite web |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/keeping-him-alive-works-of-artist-karunakaran-on-display-4974580/ |title='Keeping Him Alive': Works of artist Karunakaran on display |date=2017-12-09 |website=The Indian Express |language=en-IN |access-date=2019-03-15}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
{{quotebox|align = left|width=22em|''the untiring cartographer of female geography… the essence of the subject remains a constant, it is the flavor of the subject that moves to create and recreate,'' said Tanya Abraham, art critic, on Karanakaran.<ref name="Profile - CN Karunakaran: The artist and his world - Padma Jayaraj" />}}
[[File:A drawing by c n karunakaranDSC 0143.JPG|thumb|235px|A drawing by C. N. Karunakaran]]
One of the first assignments Karunakaran undertook after returning to Kerala from Chennai was the restoration of murals at Guruvayur temple.<ref name="Profile - CN Karunakaran: The artist and his world - Padma Jayaraj" /> He participated in several exhibitions, both group and solo, at various places in India and abroad, including the [[Embassy of India in Washington]], Asian Art Gallery, [[Virginia]], Brazilian cities like Rio de Janeiro, Paraty, São Paulo and Brasilia, Asian Art Gallery, Vienna and Kuwait.<ref name="‘Profile on defunct web page - archived copy" /><ref name="Artist profile on ORG People">{{Cite web |url=http://www.orgpeople.com/prof-artist/c%20n%20karunakaran/karunakaran.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051219130617/http://www.orgpeople.com/prof-artist/c%20n%20karunakaran/karunakaran.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2005-12-19 |title=Artist profile on ORG People |date=2019-03-15 |website=orgpeople.com |access-date=2019-03-15}}</ref> During his stay in Chennai, he was also involved with the Madras Design Demonstration Centre, a unit of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu]] where he assisted the centre in improving the handicrafts business<ref name="Profile - CN Karunakaran: The artist and his world - Padma Jayaraj" /> and has illustrated a number of literary works in book form.<ref name="au:Karuṇākaran, Si. En.,">{{Cite web |url=https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%253AKarun%25CC%25A3a%25CC%2584karan%252C+Si.+En.%252C&qt=hot_author |title=au:Karuṇākaran, Si. En. |date=2019-03-16 |website=worldcat.org |access-date=2019-03-16}}</ref>

Karaunakaran's debut in films was in 1978 when he designed the production of ''[[Ekakini]]'', directed by G. S. Panicker.<ref name="List of Malayalam Movies design by CN Karunakaran">{{Cite web |url=https://www.malayalachalachithram.com/movieslist.php?ds=9264 |title=List of Malayalam Movies design by CN Karunakaran |website=www.malayalachalachithram.com |access-date=2019-03-16}}</ref> The next year, when [[K. R. Mohanan]] made his debut film, ''[[Ashwadhamavu]]'', Karunakaran started his career as an art director,<ref name="Ashwathaamaavu (1979)">{{Cite web |url=https://www.malayalachalachithram.com/movie.php?i=827 |title=Ashwathaamaavu (1979) |website=www.malayalachalachithram.com |access-date=2019-03-16}}</ref> in which he also played a small part.<ref name="List of Malayalam Movies acted by CN Karunakaran">{{Cite web |url=https://www.malayalachalachithram.com/movieslist.php?a=9264 |title=List of Malayalam Movies acted by CN Karunakaran |date=2019-03-16 |website=www.malayalachalachithram.com |access-date=2019-03-16}}</ref> He went on to work for four more films,
''[[Akkare]]'' (1984) of K. N. Sasidharan, ''[[Purushartham]]'' (1986) of K. R. Mohanan, ''[[Ore Thooval Pakshikal]]'' (1988) of [[Chintha Ravi]] and ''[[Alicinte Anveshanam]]'' (1989) of [[T. V. Chandran]].<ref name="List of Malayalam Movies art direction by CN Karunakaran">{{Cite web |url=https://www.malayalachalachithram.com/movieslist.php?at=9264 |title=List of Malayalam Movies art direction by CN Karunakaran |website=www.malayalachalachithram.com |access-date=2019-03-16}}</ref>

== Awards and honours ==
His performance during his student years at the [[Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai]] earned him the gold medal of the [[Government of Tamil Nadu|Government of Madras]] for the best outgoing student in 1956.<ref name="C. N. Karunakaran - Kerala Tourism profile" /> He received one more award before he returned to Kerala, the annual award of Madras [[Lalit Kala Akademi]] in 1964.<ref name="‘Profile on defunct web page - archived copy" /> He received the [[Kerala Lalithakala Akademi]] Award, thrice, twice in succession in 1971 and 1972 and later, in 1975. He was selected for the [[P. T. Bhaskara Panicker]] Award in 2000 and for the [[Malayattoor Ramakrishnan]] Award in 2003. The [[Kerala Lalithakala Akademi]] indicted him as a distinguished fellow in 2005;<ref name="Akademi Fellowships - Kerala Lalithakala Akademi">{{Cite web |url=http://lalithkala.org/content/akademi-fellowships |title=Akademi Fellowships - Kerala Lalithakala Akademi |date=2019-03-16 |website=lalithkala.org |access-date=2019-03-16}}</ref> Akademi honoured him again in 2009, with [[Raja Ravi Varma]] Puraskaram, their highest award.<ref name="Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram - Kerala Lalithakala Akademi">{{Cite web |url=http://lalithkala.org/content/raja-ravi-varma-puraskaram |title=Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram - Kerala Lalithakala Akademi |date=2019-03-16 |website=lalithkala.org |access-date=2019-03-16}}</ref> Artist Sathypal, the former chairman of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi,<ref name="Artist Sathyapal to head Lalithakala Akademi">{{Cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/Artist-Sathyapal-to-head-Lalithakala-Akademi/article14552705.ece |title=Artist Sathyapal to head Lalithakala Akademi |date=2016-08-05 |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |access-date=2019-03-16}}</ref> has published a book, ''Mythic Imagination: Art of C.N. Karunakaran'',<ref name="Mythic imagination : Art of C.N. Karunakaran">{{Cite book |title=Mythic imagination : Art of C.N. Karunakaran |year = 2011|publisher=Chintha Publishers |isbn=978-8192159720 |edition=First |location=Thiruvananthapuram |oclc=781937178}}</ref> which covers Karaunakaran's work from 1950s to 2011.<ref name="Word on Art - Indian Express">{{Cite web |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/word-on-art/917881/ |title=Word on Art - Indian Express |website=archive.indianexpress.com |access-date=2019-03-16}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
=== As art director ===
{{Div col|colwidth=40em}}
*''[[Ashwadhamavu]]'' (1979)
*''[[Akkare]]'' (1984)
*''[[Purushartham]]'' (1986)
*''[[Ore Thooval Pakshikal]]'' (1988)
*''[[Alicinte Anveshanam]]'' (1989)
{{div col end}}

{{Div col|colwidth=40em}}
=== As designer ===
*''[[Ekakini]]'' (1978)

=== As actor ===
*''[[Ashwadhamavu]]'' (1979)
{{div col end}}

==Solo exhibitions==
[[File:C.N. KarunakaranDSC 0144.JPG|thumb|C. N. Karunakaran at Vidyarangam State Sahityolsavam, [[Alwaye]]]]
The following is the list of his solo exhibitions of paintings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chaithanya-artgallery.com/artistprofile.php?id1=5&name2=C.N-KARUNAKARAN|title=Artist Profile|publisher=Chaithanya Art Gallery}}</ref>
{{Div col|colwidth=40em}}
*[[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
*[[Brasilia]], Brazil - 2002
*[[Embassy of India]] [[Washington DC]], USA - 2003
*''Adithi'' Indian Cuisine, Washington DC, USA - 2003
*Asian Art Gallery, [[Vienna]] - 2003
*Kuwait - 2003
*[[Travancore House|Travancore Gallery]], New Delhi - 2006
{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite book |title=Mythic imagination : Art of C.N. Karunakaran |last=Sathyapal |publisher=Chintha Publishers |isbn=978-8192159720 |edition=First |year=2011 |location=Thiruvananthapuram |oclc=781937178}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://onlinestore.dcbooks.com:443/books/CHITHRAKALA-ORU-SAMAGRAPADANAM?t=1 |title=Chithrakala Oru Samagrapadanam |last=R. Raveendanath |publisher=DC Books |year=2013 |isbn=9788126430550 |page=422}}

==External links==
{{commons category|C. N. Karunakaran}}
* {{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxRmrHHDdIU |title=Art exhibition to remember C.N.Karunakaran |last=Manorama News |date=2016-12-14 |access-date=2019-03-15}}
* {{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObXdfAS4dm4 |title=C N Karunakaran, Kerala Arts, Painting |last=nirmala nishkomalan |date=2013-07-03 |access-date=2019-03-15}}
* {{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrdEO-IKE4E |title=C.N. Karunakaran, exhibition of drawings and paintings |last=tvnowlive |date=2014-01-13 |access-date=2019-03-15}}
* {{Cite web |url=http://www.edasseri.org/celebrations/orthiccreativecenter.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060617094404/http://www.edasseri.org/celebrations/orthiccreativecenter.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2006-06-17 |title=Ambadiyilekku Veendum - a painting based on a poem by Edasseri Govindan Nair |date=2019-03-15 |website=edasseri.org |access-date=2019-03-15}}
* {{Cite web |url=http://www.thehinduimages.com/hindu/photoDetail.do?photoId=4608376 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928010534/http://www.thehinduimages.com/hindu/photoDetail.do?photoId=4608376 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-09-28 |title=Senior artist C.N. Karunakaran with artist Jayasree Venugopal |date=2019-03-15 |website=The Hindu Images Gallery |access-date=2019-03-15}}

{{Painters from Kerala}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Karunakaran, C. N.}}
[[Category:20th-century Indian painters]]
[[Category:Indian illustrators]]
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:2013 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Thrissur district]]
[[Category:Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai alumni]]
[[Category:Indian art directors]]
[[Category:Painters from Kerala]]
[[Category:Indian advertising directors]]

C. N. Karunakaran - Revision history

>Kashmorwiki at 17:48, 23 February 2021