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{{short description|Indian sculptor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kanayi Kunhiraman
| image = Kanayi Kunhiraman Portrait.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1937|7|25|df=y}}
| birth_place = Kuttamath, [[Kasaragod district]], [[Kerala]], India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse = Nalini
| occupation = [[Sculptor]]
| years_active = 1960 - present
| notable_works = Tamilnadu Woman, Malampuzha Yakshi, Sagarakanyaka, Mukkola Perumal
| awards = {{ubl|2005 Raja Ravi Varma Award|2006 [[Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair|Thikkurissy]] Award|2018 MS Nanjunda Rao National Award}}
| website = http://www.kanayikunhiraman.com/
}}
'''Kanayi Kunhiraman''' ({{lang-ml|കാനായി കുഞ്ഞിരാമന്‍}}; born 25 July 1937) is an Indian [[sculptor]], best known for his outsize sculptures such as ''Yakshi'' of [[Malampuzha dam garden|Malampuzha Dam Gardens]], ''Jalakanyaka'' at [[Shankumugham Beach]] and ''Mukkola Perumal'' trinity in [[Kochi]]. He is a protege of [[K. C. S. Paniker]] and a former chairman of the [[Lalit Kala Academy]], India's national academy of fine arts. The Government of Kerala awarded him the inaugural Raja Ravi Varma Award in 2005. He is also a recipient of the [[Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair|Thikkurissy]] Award and the inaugural MS Nanjunda Rao National Award of the [[Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath]].

== Biography ==
[[File:Govt Fine Arts College Madras.jpg|thumb|235px|Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai]]
Kunhiraman was born on July 25, 1937 at Kuttamath in [[Hosdurg Taluk]] of [[Kanhangad]] in [[Kasaragod District]] of the south Indian state of [[Kerala]].<ref name="Biography">{{Cite web |url=http://www.kanayikunhiraman.com/ |title=Biography |date=2019-03-11 |website=Web archive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825073317/http://www.kanayikunhiraman.com/ |access-date=2019-03-11|archive-date=25 August 2011 }}</ref> After early schooling at the local schools in Kuttamath and Puthaott, he joined Raja's high school, [[Nileshwaram]] to pass the [[Secondary School Leaving Certificate]] examination in 1957.<ref name="Kanayi Kunhiraman - Veethi profile">{{Cite web |url=https://www.veethi.com/india-people/kanayi_kunhiraman-profile-3632-42.htm |title=Kanayi Kunhiraman - Veethi profile |date=2019-03-11 |website=veethi.com |access-date=2019-03-11}}</ref> A teacher at his school, by name Krishnan Kutty, encouraged him to pursue his artistic interests but he did not get encouragement from his family which forced him to flee home to [[Chennai]] where he studied sculpture at the [[Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai]].<ref name="Men-o-pause">{{Cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/tracking-indian-communities/men-o-pause/ |title=Men-o-pause |date=2015-10-17 |website=Times of India Blog |language=en-US |access-date=2019-03-11}}</ref> It was during his days here, Kunhiraman had the opportunity to come in contact with [[K. C. S. Paniker]] who was a faculty and later, the principal of the institution. After completing the course, he worked as a part-time teacher at [[Ethiraj College for Women]] from 1961 but when he received the [[Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan|Commonwealth Scholarship]], he moved to England to study at the [[Slade School of Fine Art]] in 1965; he spent three years at the school. On his return to Kerala, he undertook a number of assignments and in 1976, he was invited to head the department of sculpture of the [[College of Fine Arts Trivandrum]]; he would also serve the institution as its principal until 1978 when he was nominated as the chair of the [[Kerala Lalithakala Akademi]]; he would also chair the academy again in 2001.<ref name="Biography" />

Kunhiraman is married to Nalini.<ref name="'Our culture is colossal, so are my sculptures'">{{Cite web |url=https://english.manoramaonline.com/entertainment/art-and-culture/our-culture-is-colossal-so-are-my-sculptures-kanayi-kunhiraman.html |title=Our culture is colossal, so are my sculptures |website=OnManorama |access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
[[File:Greater Cochin Development Authority.JPG|thumb|left|''Mukkola Perumal'' in front of [[Greater Cochin Development Authority|GCDA]] building]]
On his return to Kerala from Chennai, Kunhiraman was commissioned by the irrigation department of Kerala, on recommendation from K. C. S. Paniker,<ref name="Malambuzha’s own Yakshi turns 50 this year. Do you know her story?">{{Cite web |url=http://mywordsnthoughts.com/myworld/all-about-kerala/malambuzhas-own-yakshi-turns-50-this-year-do-you-know-her-story/ |title=Malambuzha's own Yakshi turns 50 this year. Do you know her story? |last=Sandy |date=2018-02-13 |website=My Words & Thoughts |language=en-US |access-date=2019-03-11}}</ref> for an art work to be installed at the [[Malampuzha dam garden]] and he created ''Yakshi'', a 30 feet statue of a naked woman, sitting on the lawns; the sensuality of the sculpture drew protests from traditionalists.<ref name="Men-o-pause" /> Two years later, he was invited by the [[Greater Cochin Development Authority]] (GCDA) for two sculptures in the premises of their new office in [[Kadavanthra]] and he created ''Environmental Pieces '' and ''Mukkola Perumal'', both concrete sculptures.<ref name="Sculptures of Kanayi Kunhiraman">{{Cite web |url=http://b3.zcubes.com/v3.aspx?mid=205383&title=sculptures-of-kanayi-kunhiraman |title=Sculptures of Kanayi Kunhiraman |website=b3.zcubes.com |access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref> He also created a sculpture, ''Fertility'' at [[Ambalamedu]] premises of the [[Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore]]. In 1990, he completed the ''Jalakanyaka'' (Mermaid), a 23-metre sculpture at [[Shankumugham Beach]], in [[Thiruvananthapuram]];<ref name="The Jalakanyaka Mermaid statue in Thiruvananthapuram, India">{{Cite web |url=http://mermaidsofearth.com/mermaid-statues-mermaid-sculptures/public/the-jalakanyaka-mermaid-statue-in-thiruvananthapuram/ |title=The Jalakanyaka Mermaid statue in Thiruvananthapuram, India |date=2019-03-11 |website=Mermaids of Earth |language=en-US |access-date=2019-03-11}}</ref> The beach also has another of his sculptures titled, ''Snake''.<ref name="Sculptures of Kanayi Kunhiraman" />

The bronze bust of [[K. P. P. Nambiar]], the [[Padma Bhushan]] winning technocrat,<ref name="Of bonds with a trailblazer technocrat">{{Cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/of-bonds-with-a-trailblazer-technocrat/article24283133.ece |title=Of bonds with a trailblazer technocrat |author=Staff Reporter |date=2018-06-29 |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |access-date=2019-03-11}}</ref> and the bust of [[K. C. Mammen Mappillai]] are two conventional sculptures created by Kunhiraman.<ref name="'Our culture is colossal, so are my sculptures'" /> ''Amma'' in [[Payyambalam]], ''Akshara Shilpam'' in [[Kottayam]],<ref name="A visual journey through the life of the master sculptor">{{Cite web |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2018/apr/03/a-visual-journey-through-the-life-of-the-master-sculptor-1796543.html |title=A visual journey through the life of the master sculptor |website=The New Indian Express |access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref> ''Conch'', ''Seats'', ''Nandi'' and ''Embrace'' at [[Tourism in Thiruvananthapuram#Veli Lagoon|Veli Tourist Village]],<ref name="Top 10 Magnificent Statues and Sculpture in Kerala">{{Cite web |url=http://www.walkthroughindia.com/offbeat/top-10-magnificent-statues-and-sculpture-in-kerala/ |title=Top 10 Magnificent Statues and Sculpture in Kerala |website=walkthroughindia.com |language=en-US |access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref> are some of his other works.<ref name="Sculptures of Kanayi Kunhiraman" /><ref name="Kanai Kunhiraman - Works of Art">{{Cite web |url=http://www.kanayikunhiraman.com/worksofart.html |title=Kanai Kunhiraman - Works of Art |date=2011-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923083735/http://www.kanayikunhiraman.com/worksofart.html |access-date=2019-03-11|archive-date=23 September 2011 }}</ref> ''Melathara'' and ''Kalithara'', dedicated to public with the accompaniment from a [[violin]] concert by [[L.Athira Krishna|L. Athira Krishna]] in [[Kollam]] in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.athira.in/Awards.html|title=AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS|publisher=Athira|accessdate=23 June 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815214949/http://athira.in/Awards.html|archivedate=15 August 2014}}</ref> and the ''Aksharashilpam'', at the premises of the public library in [[Kottayam]] feature among his more recent works.<ref name="Article about Kanayi Kunhiraman by Fr. Dr. K. M. George ">{{Cite web |url=http://malankaraorthodox.tv/?p=36096 |title=Article about Kanayi Kunhiraman by Fr. Dr. K. M. George |date=2019-03-12 |website=Malankara Orthodox TV |language=en-GB |access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref> He has also published on poetry anthology, titled, ''Kānāyi Kuñhirāmant̲e Kavitakaḷ''.<ref name="Kunhiraman2009">{{cite book|author=Kanayi Kunhiraman|title=Kānāyi Kuññirāmant̲e kavitakaḷ|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4oDEwAEACAAJ|year=2009|publisher=Ḍi. Si. Buks|isbn=978-81-264-2323-1}}</ref>

== Awards and honours ==
Kunhiraman, who has designed many of the statuettes for various awards in Kerala,<ref name="The Hindu : Kerala News : Raja Ravi Varma award for Kanayi">{{Cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/2005/04/30/stories/2005043011220500.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113122716/http://www.thehindu.com/2005/04/30/stories/2005043011220500.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2016-01-13 |website=[[The Hindu]] |title=Kerala News : Raja Ravi Varma award for Kanayi |date=2005-04-30 |access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref> was selected by [[Kerala Lalithakala Akademi]] for their annual award, Raja Ravi Varma Award, in 2005, making him the first sculptor to receive the honour.<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=2019-03-12 |website=lalithkala.org |access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref> He received the [[Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair|Thikkurissy]] Award in 2006<ref name="Kanai Kunhiraman Awards">{{Cite web |url=http://www.kanayikunhiraman.com/awards.html |title=Kanai Kunhiraman Awards |date=2011-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923110211/http://www.kanayikunhiraman.com/awards.html |access-date=2019-03-11|archive-date=23 September 2011 }}</ref> and [[Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath]] awarded him the inaugural MS Nanjunda Rao National Award for Art in 2018.<ref name="Sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman honoured with Nanjunda Rao National Award for Art">{{Cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/dance-of-the-giants/article22367066.ece |title=Sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman honoured with Nanjunda Rao National Award for Art |last=Govind |first=Ranjani |date=2018-01-04 |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref> [[Lalit Kala Akademi]], the national academy of India for fine arts, published a book on Kunhiraman's works in 2008.<ref name="Iconic sculptor to receive first ever Nanjunda Rao Award today">{{Cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/iconic-sculptor-to-receive-first-ever-nanjunda-rao-award-today/article19211451.ece |title=Iconic sculptor to receive first ever Nanjunda Rao Award today |last=Govind |first=Ranjani |date=2017-07-04 |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref><ref name="Kanayi Kunhiraman">{{Cite book |title=Kanayi Kunhiraman |last=Vijayakumār Mēnōn |date=2008 |publisher=Lalit Kala Akademi |isbn=9788187507345 |location=New Delhi |language=English |oclc=289070886}}</ref>

==Selected works==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="width:75%"
! scope="col" style="width:10%" | Year
! scope="col" style="width:25%" | Work
! scope="col" style="width:15%" | Medium
! scope="col" style="width:25%" | Venue
! scope="col" style="width:25%" | Place
|-
| 1953 || Mother and Child || Concrete || || [[payyambalam
]]
|-
| 1957 || Beggar || Plaster of Paris || [[Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai|Government College of Fine Arts]] || [[Chennai]]
|-
| 1957 || Jawaan || Bronze || [[State Bank of India]] || [[Chennai]]
|-
| 1958 || A figure || Bronze || [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] || London
|-
| 1958 || Mother and Father || Concrete || [[Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai|Government College of Fine Arts]] || [[Chennai]]
|-
| 1958 || Portrait of the Painter Rani Poovaiah || Concrete || [[Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai|Government College of Fine Arts]] || Chennai
|-
| 1964 || Amma (Mother) || Granite || Private Collection || New Delhi
|-
| 1969 || Yakshi || Concrete || [[Malampuzha dam garden]] || [[Malampuzha]]
|-
| 1971 || Fertility || Concrete || [[Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore|FACT]] || [[Ambalamedu]]
|-
| 1972 || Environmental Pieces || Concrete || [[Greater Cochin Development Authority|GCDA Complex]] || [[Kochi]]
|-
| 1973 || Mukkola Perumal || Concrete || [[Greater Cochin Development Authority|GCDA Complex]] || [[Kochi]]
|-
| 1975 || Horse || Junk sculpture || [[National Gallery of Modern Art]] || New Delhi
|-
| 1976 || Relief || Concrete || [[Mullakkal Temple]] || [[Alappuzha]]
|-
| 1985 || [[Kengal Hanumanthaiah]] || Bronze || [[Vidhana Soudha]] || [[Bengaluru]]
|-
| 1986 || Embrace || Concrete || [[Tourism in Thiruvananthapuram#Veli Lagoon|Veli Tourist Village]] || [[Thiruvananthapuram]]
|-
| 1986 || The Conch || Concrete, || [[Tourism in Thiruvananthapuram#Veli Lagoon|Veli Tourist Village]] || [[Thiruvananthapuram]]
|-
| 1986 || Aattam || Concrete || [[Tourism in Thiruvananthapuram#Veli Lagoon|Veli Tourist Village]] || [[Thiruvananthapuram]]
|-
| 1990 || Relaxation || Concrete || [[Shankumugham Beach]] || [[Thiruvananthapuram]]
|-
| 1990 || Sagarakanyaka (The Mermaid) || Concrete || [[Shankumugham Beach]] || [[Thiruvananthapuram]]
|-
| 1992 || Snake || Concrete || [[Shankumugham Beach]] || [[Thiruvananthapuram]]
|-
| 1998 || Nandi || Concrete || [[Tourism in Thiruvananthapuram#Veli Lagoon|Veli Tourist Village]] || [[Thiruvananthapuram]]
|-
| 2001 || Infinity || Bronze|| ||
|-
| 2001 || Labour's Hand || Bronze|| ||
|-
| 2001 || Seats || Concrete || [[Payyambalam Beach]] || [[Kannur]]
|-
| 2001 || Thai (Mother) || Concrete || [[Payyambalam Beach]] || [[Kannur]]
|-
| 2008 || Melathara and Kalithara || Concrete || Sopanam Complex || [[Kollam]]
|-
| 2015 || Aksharashilpam || Concrete || Public Library || [[Kottayam]]
|-
| 2018 || Reclining figure || Concrete || Mahakavi Kumaranasan Memorial || [[Thonnakkal]]
|-
| 2018 || [[Kumaran Asan]] || Bronze || Mahakavi Kumaranasan Memorial || [[Thonnakkal]]
|-
| 2018 || [[Vikram Sarabhai]] || Bronze || [[Indian Space Research Organisation]] || [[Bengaluru]]
|}

== Books on Kanayai Kunhiraman ==
* {{Cite book |title=Kānāyi Kuñhirāman: Br̥hadākāraṅgaḷuṭe śhilppi |last=Puṣhparāj |first=Nēmaṃ |publisher=State Institute of Languages |location=Kerala |date=2012 |isbn=9788176381284 |oclc=869823336}}
* {{Cite book |title=Kanayi Kunhiraman |last=Vijayakumār Mēnōn |date=2008 |publisher=Lalit Kala Akademi |isbn=9788187507345 |location=New Delhi |language=English |oclc=289070886}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Mermaid-Shankumukham.jpg|Mermaid(Jalakanyaka) at [[Shankumugham Beach]], [[Thiruvananthapuram]].
Image:Yakshi-kanai.JPG|Yakshi at the [[Malampuzha dam garden]]
File:Kanayi & Jalakanyaka.jpg|Kanayi with the photo of Jalakanyaka in the backdrop
Image:Kanai Shamghumukhan Thiruvananthapuram.JPG|Another sculpture at Shankumugham Beach
File:Kanayi Kunhiraman and Yakshi.jpg|The sculptor and Yakshi
File:Kanayi Kunhiraman at Thiruvananthapuram 03.jpg|Kanayi Kunhiraman at Thiruvananthapuram
File:Kumaran Asan Smarakam, Thonnakkal (50).JPG|Kumaran Asan Smarakam at Thonnakkal
File:Sculpture kanayi kunhiraman.jpg|Aattam at Veli Tourist Village
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Kanayi Kunhiraman}}
* {{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHxGmxoAgDI |title=Kanayi Kunhiraman's sculpture Garden in Kottayam Public Library |last=asianetnews |date=2015-03-27 |access-date=2019-03-11}}
* {{Cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/garbage-dumping-issue-reaches-a-flashpoint/article2726198.ece |title=Garbage dumping issue reaches a flashpoint |last=Mahadevan |first=G. |date=2011-12-18 |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |access-date=2019-03-11}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kunhiraman, Kanayi}}
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of London]]
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai alumni]]
[[Category:Indian male sculptors]]
[[Category:People from Kasaragod district]]
[[Category:Artists from Kerala]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian sculptors]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian sculptors]]
[[Category:Indian contemporary sculptors]]

Kanayi Kunhiraman - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 09:26, 14 August 2023