M. V. Devan

Madathil Vasudevan, popularly identified as M. V. Devan (15 January 1928 – 29 April 2014), was an Indian painter, sculptor, writer, art critic and orator. Besides his artistic works, he was also known for his architectural designs for a number of cultural institutions as well as for his contributions in founding Kerala Kalapeetom, Kochi-based cultural organization, Malayala Kalagramam, an art village in New Mahe and Kalagramam, another art village in Kollam. A former chairman of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, he was a recipient of several honours including the Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, the Vayalar Award and the Mathrubhumi Literary Award. M. V. Devan was born on January 15, 1928, at Panniyannur, a small village in Thalassery in the south Indian state of Kerala. After completing high school in 1946, he left for Madras to study painting. At Chennai, he joined the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai where he had the opportunity to study under D. P. Roy Choudhury and K. C. S. Paniker, the then principal and vice principal of the institution. It was during this time itself, he met M. Govindan, who influenced his thinking. Returning to Kerala, he was involved in many artistic, cultural and literary movements, besides his own artistic pursuits. Devan was married to Sreedevi and the couple had two daughters, Jameela and Shalini. He died on April 29, 2014, at the age of 86, at his residence in Aluva, survived by his daughters; his wife had predeceased him.