Balan Nambiar (Template:Lang-ml; born 12 November 1937 in Kannapuram) is an Indian painter, sculptor, enamellist, photographer and an academic researcher.
Biography
As a sculptor he worked with clay, fiberglass reinforced concrete, wood, bronze, mild steel and, from 2000, stainless steel.[1][2][3][4][5] Many of his works are outdoor sculptures; some are monumental.[6] He produced enamel paintings,[7][8] having learned the technique from Paolo De Poli of Padua, Italy.[9] His creative works were exhibited in national and international art exhibitions, including Venice Biennale in 1982,[10][11] Constructa-78 in Hannover in 1978, Triennale India in New Delhi in 1975.[12] Works by him are in the permanent collection of many museums.
Balan Nambiar has extensively studied, photographed and documented hundreds of ritual performances and art forms of the Indian west coast as Teyyam and Bhuta.[13] Articles and photographs by him are published in books. Around 1800 of his photographs have been acquired by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts,[14] New Delhi.[15]
He received awards both for creative works and academic research: India National Award in 1981 and Karnataka State Award in 1980 of Lalit Kala Academy (National Academy of Fine Arts) for his sculptures, Senior Fellowship of the India Ministry of Culture in 1982–83 and Nehru Fellowship of Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund in 1983–85[16] for academic research, Academy Fellowship of the Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy in 2005 for creative works,[17] Pravasi Kalaratna Fellowship of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi in 2013 for painting.[18] The Government of Kerala awarded him the 2014 Raja Ravi Verma Puraskaram, the highest state award in the art category, in 2015.[19] National Gallery of Modern Art, Bangalore held the retrospective of six decades of work by Nambiar in February 2018, which was curated by Sadanand Menon [1]
He has been chairman of the Lalit Kala Academi, New Delhi,[20] member of the General Council of Lalit Kala Academy,[21] member of the Central Advisory Board on Culture, India.[22]
Major works
- Monument to the Assassinated, Kota stone, steel and granite, 2.5 x 5.6 x 1.8 m., Goethe-Institut Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi, 1995[23]
- Valampiri Shankha, stainless steel, 2.4 m. high, Indian Institute of Science, gifted by Texas Instruments, Bangalore, 2000[24]
- Hanging sculpture, stainless steel, 5.3 m. high, ING-Vysya Bank, Bangalore, 2003[25]
- Sculpture for Timken, stainless steel, 6.02 m. high, TIMKEN, Bangalore, 2004[26][27]
- Kannati Bimbam, 2007[28]
- The Sky is the Limit, stainless steel, 6.5 m. high, Indian Oil Corporation, New Delhi, 2010[29][30]
Collections
- National Gallery of Modern Art, India (sculptures in National Gallery Modern Art, New Delhi; Government Museum, Bangalore; National Gallery of Modern Art, Bangalore; Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur)[31]
- Government Museum, Chennai[32]
- Museum of Sacred Art, Durbuy, Belgium[33]
- Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore[34]
- Rietberg Museum, Zurich
See more in Shrishti Art Gallery, India.[35]
Publications on ritual art
- Nambiar, Balan (2014). "Veeralipattu, Valampiri Shankha, Kannadi Bimbam". Kottayam, Kerala State, India: DC Books. Template:ISBN (Malayalam)
- History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization{{#if:Nambiar|, Nambiar}. Munshirm Manoharlal(2011). ISBN 978-81-87586-494
- Nambiar, Balan (2009). "Mythos und Kunsthandwerk (Rituals, myths and handicrafts)". In Beltz, Johannes. Wenn Masken tanzen – Rituelles Theater und Bronzekunst aus Südindien. Museum Rietberg, Zürich, pp. 19–55. Template:ISBN (German)
- Nambiar, Balan (2001). "Masks in the ritual arts of the west coast of southern India". In Malik, S.C. Man, Mind and Mask, IGNCA, New Delhi, pp. 267–271. Template:ISBN
- Nambiar, Balan (2000). "Teyyam, the Ritual Performing Arts of northern Kerala". In Goswamy, B.N. History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization: Indian Art, pp. 265–277, New Delhi. Template:ISBN
- Nambiar, Balan (1993). "Tai paradevata: Ritual impersonation in the Teyyam tradition of Kerala". In Brückner H., Lutze L., Malik A. Flags of fame, Studies in South Asian folk culture, pp. 139–163, South Asia Books, Template:ISBN[36]
- Nambiar, Balan., Fisher E. (1987) "Patola / Virali pattu – from Gujarat to Kerala". Lang, Peter, Asiatische Studien 41,2: 120–146, 1987[37] (German)
- Nambiar, Balan (1981). "Gods and Ghosts – Teyyam and Bhuta rituals". Doshi, Saryu (ed) The performing Arts, Marg Volume 34, Issues 3–4, Bombay, 1981, pp 62–73
References
- ↑ Surface and Depth: Indian Artists at Work{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Viking(1995). ISBN 9780670861743
- ↑ Articulations. Voices from Contemporary Indian Visual Art{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Rupa & Company(2004). ISBN 9788171677481
- ↑ Contemporary Art in India: A perspective{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. National Book Trust(2001). ISBN 8123734204
- ↑ Colours of perspective. The Hindu({Template:Date).
- ↑ The Indian architect, Volume 23{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. K. Dhar(1981)
- ↑ A style of his own. The Hindu({Template:Date).
- ↑ Art Heritage 10 1990–91{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Art Heritage Publication
- ↑ India 2001: reference encyclopedia{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. South Asia Publications(2004). ISBN 978-0-945921-42-4
- ↑ an interview with Balan Nambiar, in Template:Cite AV media
- ↑ La Biennale di Venezia: visual arts; general catalogue 1982{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Electa(1982). ISBN 8820802937
- ↑ from Venice Biennale mediateca. ASAC – Archivio Storico delle Arti Contemporanee. La Biennale di Venezia.
- ↑ Third Triennale-India 08 Feb 21 Mar 1975. Asian Art Archive.
- ↑ Globalizing India: perspectives from Below{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Anthem Press(2005). ISBN 9781843311942
- ↑ Ethnographoc collection. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. IGNCA, Delhi.
- ↑ India 1988–89 a reference annual{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting(1 January 1990)
- ↑ List of Jawaharlal Nehru Fellows. Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund.
- ↑ Akademi Fellowships. Kerala Lalithakala Akademi.
- ↑ Kala Ratna fellowships. The Hindu({Template:Date).
- ↑ Raja Ravi Verma Puraskaram(18 March 2015).
- ↑ Shri Balan Nambiar appointed as the Acting Chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi. Lalit Kala Academy.
- ↑ General Council Members. Lalit Kala Akademi.
- ↑ Manual VIII Central Advisory Board on Culture. Ministry of Culture, India.
- ↑ The book on trial: fundamentalism and censorship in India{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Har-Anand Publications(1997). ISBN 8124105251
- ↑ Man of Steel. India Today({Template:Date).
- ↑ Stainless Steel abounds in Ing Vysya Bank, Bangalore. Stainless India({Template:Date).
- ↑ Steeling the show. India Today({Template:Date).
- ↑ Heavy metal. The Hindu({Template:Date).
- ↑ Reflections of divinity. The Tribune({Template:Date).
- ↑ Saying it with steel. The Hindu({Template:Date).
- ↑ Stainless Sculpture 'The Sky is the Limit' Celebrates 50 years of the Indian Oil Corporation. Stainless India({Template:Date).
- ↑ National Gallery of Modern Art Collection. National Gallery Modern Art., India
- ↑ Tamil Nadu State Administration Report 1071-1972{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Government of Tamil Nadu(1974)
- ↑ Balan Nambiar. Museum of Sacred Arts.
- ↑ Between urban and cosmic spaces. Deccan Herald({Template:Date).
- ↑ Artists profile. Shrishti Art Gallery.
- ↑ South Asia Institute of Heidelberg University. Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg.
- ↑ Publikationsliste von Eberhard Fischer. Rietberg Museum.