About the Artist

K.V. Haridasan (1937–2014), born in Cannanore, Kerala, India. Lived and worked in Chennai, New Delhi, and Thiruvananthapuram.

EDUCATION & TRAINING

1958 – Bachelor of Psychology, Madras University, Madras (now Chennai), India.
1960–1966 – Diploma in Painting, Government College of Arts & Crafts, Madras, Chennai, India.
1965–1968 – National Cultural Scholar, Government of India Cultural Scholarship Programme. Undertook advanced training and artistic study under K. C. S. Paniker, Madras (Chennai), India.

AWARDS & HONOURS

1964 – State Award, Highly Commended Certificate, Madras State Lalit Kala Akademi, Madras (Chennai), Tamil Nadu.
1965 – Awarded a scholarship by the Kerala Lalit Kala Akademi for advanced study in painting.
1975 – Gold Medal and Cash Award, Kerala Lalit Kala Akademi State Exhibition of Art, Kerala, India, for Bija Yantra.
1992–1995 – Senior Fellowship, Department of Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.
1994 – Nominated Eminent Artist and admitted to the General Council, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.
A national recognition acknowledging distinguished contribution to Indian art and participation in the governance of India's National Academy of Art.
1999 – Honoured by the All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi, India, in recognition of contribution to the visual arts, 23 February 1999.
2003 – Lalit Kala Puraskaram (Lalit Kala Award for Lifetime Contribution to Art), Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, Kerala, India.
Awarded in recognition of lifetime contribution to the visual arts.
2013 – Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram (Raja Ravi Varma Award), Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, Government of Kerala.
Kerala's highest honour in the visual arts, recognizing lifetime achievement and outstanding contributions to Indian art.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

1967 – District Library Hall, Madras (Chennai), India.
1967 – Fine Arts Society, Calcutta (Kolkata), India.
1968 – Paintings by K. V. Haridasan, Triveni Gallery, 205 Tansen Marg, New Delhi, 16–20 April 1968.
1968 – Yantra Series, exhibition of paintings by K.V. Haridasan, British Council, Madras (Chennai).
1969 – Yantra Paintings, Solo Exhibition, Kumar Gallery, 11 Sunder Nagar Market, New Delhi.
1969 – Yantra 69, Solo Exhibition, Kumar Gallery, Ashoka Hotel, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, 6–14 November 1969.
1971 – Bija Yantra Series, Solo Exhibition of Ten Paintings, Kumar Gallery, Sunder Nagar Market, New Delhi.
1976 – Brahmasutra Series, Solo Exhibition, Lalit Kala Gallery, Rabindra Bhavan, Feroz Shah Road, New Delhi.
1978 – Metal Reliefs, Exhibition of Metal Reliefs by S. G. Vasudev and K. V. Haridasan, Gallery Chanakya, New Delhi.
1981 – ‘Brahmasutra’ Series, Kala Peetom, Cochin (Kochi), India.
1992 – Brahmasutra Series: Exhibition of Paintings by Haridasan, Jehangir Art Gallery, Bombay (Mumbai).
1994 – Brahmasutra Series ’94, Solo Exhibition of Paintings by K. V. Haridasan, with the release of his book Intimations, Jehangir Art Gallery, Bombay (Mumbai).
1997 – Flowers of Freedom, Solo Exhibition of Brahmasutra 1997 Paintings by K. V. Haridasan, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai.

SELECTED NATIONAL GROUP EXHIBITIONS

1964 – National Exhibition of Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India.
1966 – Vasudev Haridasan Varadarajan: Exhibition of Paintings Graphics, Max Mueller Bhavan, Madras (Chennai).
1966 – Progressive Painters Association Madras at Jehangir Art Gallery, Fort Bombay, 29 March – 05 April 1966.
1976 – Lalit Kala Contemporary, No. 22, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.
1967–1985, 1987 – Group exhibitions organized by Cholamandal Artists’ Village, Progressive Painters’ Association, and Young Painters’ Association, Madras (Chennai), India.
1972 – 25 Years of Indian Art: Painting, Sculpture & Graphics in the Post-Independence Era, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India.
1975 – Kerala Lalit Kala Akademi State Exhibition of Art, An Exhibition of Paintings, Graphics, Drawings & Sculpture.
1975 – State Exhibition of Art, Kerala: 1975, School of Arts Gallery, Trivandrum.
1977 – National Exhibition of Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, India.
1978 – 40 Artists of Madras, group exhibition organized by the British Council, Madras (Chennai), India.
[c.1978] – TRAVELLING EXHIBITION 8, Selected Works from Lalit Kala Akademi Collection.
1979 – National Exhibition of Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India.
1985 – TRAVELLING EXHIBITION-XV, A Selection from the Collection of Lalit Kala Akademi, Trivandrum (14–20 January 1985), Ernakulam (28 January–2 February 1985), Bangalore (10–16 February 1985), Mysore (23 February–1 March 1985), Belgaum (9–15 March 1985), Poona (23–30 March 1985).
1991 – Drawings India 1991, Lalit Kala Akademi.
1991-93 – Creative Weaving: The Revival of Art in Tapestry, travelling exhibition of contemporary tapestries produced during the First and Second International Workshops (1991–1992), organized by Max Mueller Bhavan, Madras (Chennai), in collaboration with TASARA (Centre for Creative Weaving), Beypore, Kerala. Presented in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bombay (Mumbai). Later internationally in Bangladesh (1993), and Germany (early 1994–April 1995).
1997 – Major Trends in Indian Art: A Cross Section of 50 Years of Indian Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.
1993 – Souvenirs d'en France, An Exposition of Contemporary Indian Art, Lalit Kala Galleries, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi.
1998 – Symbolism and Geometry in Indian Art, curated by Rupika Chawla, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi.
2001 –India: A Historical Lila: Auctions of Indian Modern & Contemporary Paintings, Drawings & Graphic Art, curated by Neville Tuli, Osian’s, Mumbai.
2003 – FN-FN: Figurative Non- Figurative Narration, curated by Nevile Tiuli. OSIANs' - Connoisseurs of Art.
2005 – Southern Axis: A Selection of Contemporary Art of Southern India, curated by Meena Dadha, Mukti / M.S. Dadha Foundation in collaboration with Prakrit Arts, Chennai.
2008 – Treasures of the South, Group Exhibition of Paintings and Sculptures by Artists from South India, Cymroza Art Gallery and Ayya Art Galleries, Mumbai.
2008 – The Madras Canvas II: Recent Works by Selected Madras-based Painters, Sculptors, Photographers and Cartoonists, Forum Art Gallery, Chennai.
2011 – Art Chennai 2011: India’s Festival for Modern & Contemporary Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai.

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS

1971 – VII Biennale de Paris, Parc Floral de Paris, Bois de Vincennes, Paris, France.
1971 – Ten Modern Tantric Painters, at “Man and His World” Exhibition, Montreal, Canada.
1975 – II Triennale India: International Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India.
1978 – IV Triennale India: International Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India.
1982 – V International Triennale, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India.
1983 – Tantra: Philosophie und Bildidee. Aspekte zeitgenössischer indischer Kunst (Tantra: Philosophy and Visual Concept: Aspects of Contemporary Indian Art), Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa), Stuttgart, West Germany.
1983 – Exposition de Peintures: Haridasan, Hall du Centre de Conférences d’Aulnay, Aulnay-sous-Bois, France.
1984 – Współczesna Sztuka Azji – Grafika i Rysunek z Indonezji, Indii i Bangladeszu (Contemporary Asian Art: Prints and Drawings from Indonesia, India and Bangladesh), organized by the Asia and Pacific Museum in Warsaw, Ściana Wschodnia Gallery, Warsaw, Poland.
1985–1986 – Neo-Tantra: Contemporary Indian Painting Inspired by Tradition, Frederick S. Wight Art Gallery, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
1986 – Neo Tantra Art, Art Gallery Of New South Wales (AGNSW), Art Gallery Road, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia. Organized by the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi in association with the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
1986 – Neo Tantra Art, The Art Gallery Of Western Australia (AGWA), Perth Cultural Centre, Perth WA 6000, Australia.Organized by the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi in association with the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
1986 – 3rd Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
1987 – Festival of India in the USSR: Exhibition of Art, Soviet Union.
1990 – Strange and Familiar, Exhibition on the occasion of the Days of Culture of the GDR in India, Centre of Art Exhibitions of the GDR, Berlin.
1991 – VII International Triennale, Special Invitee, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi India.
1993-1995 – Creative Weaving: The Revival of Art in Tapestry, travelling exhibition of contemporary tapestries produced during the First and Second International Workshops (1991–1992), organized by Max Mueller Bhavan, Madras (Chennai), in collaboration with TASARA (Centre for Creative Weaving), Beypore, Kozhikode, Kerala. Travelled first in India in 1992. Then in Bangladesh in 1993, and Germany from early 1994–April 1995.

ARTIST CAMPS & RESIDENCIES & EXCHANGE PROGRAMS

1974 – Visited the USSR and the German Democratic Republic (GDR) under the Government of India Cultural Exchange Programme.
1975 – Travelled in France and Switzerland under the Government of India Cultural Exchange Programme.
1979 – Printmaking Workshop, organized by Kerala Lalith Kala Akademi in collaboration with the American Center, Madras, and United States International Communication Agency (USICA).
1981 – Artists’ Camp organized by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, in collaboration with Akademi’s of Kerala, Kashmir, and Madras, India.
1981 – 10 day Artists' Camp, organized by Tamil University, in Thanjavur.
1983 – Visited France under a French Government Scholarship Programme to study and work in graphic arts (printmaking).
1988 – International Artists’ Plein Air: India–GDR Artists’ Camp, Dümmer near Schwerin, German Democratic Republic (GDR), 27 August – 23 September 1988. Organised by the Ministry of Culture of the GDR and the Association of Visual Artists of the GDR.
1993 – Artists’ Workshop, Pune, organized jointly by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, and Nag Foundation, Pune.
1991 – Creative Weaving: First International Workshop on Tapestry, organized by Max Mueller Bhavan, Madras (Chennai), in collaboration with TASARA (Centre for Creative Weaving), Beypore North, Calicut (Kozhikode), Kerala, India.
1992 – National Level Painters’ Camp, Pondicherry (Puducherry), India, 13–22 December 1992. Organized by South Zone Cultural Centre, Thanjavur; Lalit Kala Akademi Regional Centre, Madras (Chennai); and Government of Pondicherry, Department of Art ∓ Culture.
2004 – The Artists Camp, 21–27 May 2004 at Raj Bhavan, Ooty. Organized by the Department of Culture, Government of Tamil Nadu, and the South Zone Cultural Centre, Thanjavur.
2009 – Saarangam 2009, Artists’ Camp, Kovalam, Kerala, India, organized by Suryakanti Art Gallery as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations.

COLLECTIONS

Public Collections:
National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi
Central Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
Andhra Pradesh Lalit Kala Akademi, Hyderabad
Karnataka Lalit Kala Akademi, Bangalore
National Art Gallery, Madras (Chennai)
Jammu & Kashmir State Arts Akademi, Srinagar
India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), New Delhi
Sri Chitralayam Art Gallery, Kerala

Private Collections
Cholamandal Artists’ Village, Chennai
Nag Foundation, Pune
Ambani Collection, Mumbai
Delhi Art Gallery (DAG), New Delhi
Colour Chem Ltd., Mumbai
Navin Fluorine Industries, Surat
and many other private collectors.

Commissions
Mural, The International Centre For Kathakali, New Delhi.

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS & DISTINCTIONS

1965–2014 – Founding member of Cholamandal Artists’ Village, 2/147 A, Injambakkam, East Coast Road (ECR), Chennai – 60041, Tamil Nadu, India.
1979–1985 – Editor, Art Trends, art magazine of the Progressive Painters Association, Cholamandal Artists’ Village, Madras.
1980–1988 – Professor & Head of the Department of Painting, College of Fine Arts, Palayam, Vikas Bhavan P.O., Trivandrum (now Thiruvananthapuram) – 695033, Kerala, India.
1981–1992 – Member, Jury and Selection Committee for the National Exhibition of Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.
1989–1992 – Principal, College of Fine Arts, Trivandrum, Kerala.
1989–1991 – Member, Central Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi; Publication Committee and Advisory Committee, Regional Centre (Lalit Kala Akademi), Chennai.
1989–1991 – Member, Executive Board, Kerala State Lalit Kala Akademi, Thrissur.

WRITINGS

1961 – May I Speak to You, published in Tourist Guide, Vol. 1, No. 3, Tourist Guides Association, c/o Government of India Tourist Office, 35 Mount Road, Madras, p. 41.
1983 – Perspectives on a Heritage, Journal of Literature and Aesthetics, Volume Ill Numbers 2&3 April - Sept. 1983, Quilon (Kollam), Kerala, pg 112.
1989-1991 – സൗന്ദര്യശാസ്ത്രം ഒരു സമസ്യ. (Aesthetics: A Puzzle), Essay, Collection of issues of BHASHA SAHITHI, Journal of Research and Literary, Studies in Malayalam. Reg. No. R. N. 29564 | 77. From Vol. 13 No: 1 to Vol. 15 No: 2 January 1989 —June 1991.
1990 – Exhibition text for Exhibition of Paintings, Graphics and Sculptures by S. Vipinachandran, House of Soviet Culture, Gorky Bhavanam, Thiruvananthapuram, 18–22 June 1990.
1991 – Tantra, Art and Modernity, Lalit Kala Contemporary 37, pg.65-66, March 1991.
1994 – Intimations: On Art, Indian and Western Modern Tradition & Tantra, self-published book.
2004 – About his practice, Cholamandal: An Artists’ Village, edited by Josef James, Oxford University Press, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, pg. 146-159. ISBN-10: 0195669886. ISBN-13: 9780195669886