Renowned Illustrator K M Vasudevan Namboodhiri, popularly known as Artist Namboodhiri, died in the early hours on Friday following an old-age illness.
He had been hospitalised in a private hospital at Kottakkal since July 1, due to chest infection.
The doyan of line sketches of Kerala, Artist Namboothiri, represented the golden chapter in Kerala painting and sculpture.
He was 98. He is survived by his wife, Mrinalini, and two sons, Parmeswaran and Vasudevan.
He was born on September 13, 1925, as the son of Karuvattilallth Parmeswaran Namboodhiri and Sreedevi Ntharjanam at Naduvattam near Edappal in Malappuram district.
He was educated in Arts and Painting under the guidance of Eminent Artists Roy Choudhury,S Dhanapal, and KCS Panicker from Fine Arts College, Chennai, and also served as the president of Kerala Lalitha Kala Akademi, Thrissur. He also served as an Illustrator from 1960 in Mathrubhumi weekly and later in Kala Kaumudi weekly in 1981, Samakalika Malayalam weekly, and Mangalam weekly.
He illustrated a number of novels and stories by famous Malayalam writers VKN, Thakazhi, M. T Vasudevan Nair, Basheer, S K Pottekkatt, and Punnathil Kunjabdhulla.
Artist Namboodhiri, who won the Raja Ravi Varma Award instituted by Kerala Lalitha Kala Akademi and also won the Kerala State Film Award for Art Director for Aravindhan’s film Uttarayanam. He was also the awardee of the Bala Sahitya literature award instituted by Kerala Institute for Children’s Literature (KSICL).
The mortal remains of Namboodhiri were kept at his house at Naduvattam until 1200 hrs and later kept at Lalitha Kala Akademy, Thrissur, to pay homage and last tributes as a last respect by people from all walks of life to the departed Artist. The funeral function will be held at his ancestral house premises in Naduvattam, near Edappal, in the evening.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the death of Artist Namboodhiri and described it as a great loss to the State.
