A. Ramachandran

1935 - 2024

Achutan Ramachandran Nair, widely known as A. Ramachandran, is a preeminent Indian artist of large-scale paintings and bronze sculptures that echo the visual motifs of Indian classical art. Born in 1935 in Kerala, his early works depicted the socio-political struggles of his home state in a modern, abstracted style. Later in his career, however, Ramachandran was profoundly influenced by the vibrant culture of Rajasthan as well as its miniature painting traditions, leading to the whimsical scenes of flora, fauna and mythological imagery for which he became acclaimed. He has also cited inspiration from Kerala murals, Nathdwara paintings and Ajanta cave paintings.

A. Ramachandran studied art at Kala Bhavana (Institute of Fine Arts) in Santiniketan, in addition to earning a Masters degree in Malayalam literature and later a doctorate with a thesis on Kerala mural painting. He has exhibited extensively in museums across India as well as abroad, including the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, France, Singapore and South Korea. He has received numerous prestigious awards including the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian honor. In 2002, he was elected a Fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi, and in 2013, he was granted an honorary doctorate by Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala.