Chandrasekharan Chans, Kerala \ calicut
Member Since November 2009
Artist Statement Chandrasekharan pen name chans born and brought up in kerala-india
Former executive member of KeralaLalithakala Akademi and also member of SahithyaAkademi. Also worked as an artdirector in film industry.
Achieved first and foremost A S illustration Award in the year 2005
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THE HINDU
Leading newspaper in india
MASTERING
THE LANGUAGE OF
THE BRUSH
SOMETIME IN August 1997, the literary critic M.N.Vijayan worte in his column in the Deshabhimani weekly that the illustrations of
Chans (chandrasekharan) were “bold and sure” Then, as the editor of the publication, he described Chans’ artistic works asa blend
of the classical style and the modern. Chans’ sketches belonged to the classic- realistic style that stood far from the romantic style, he
worte. On Tuesday, while inaugurating Chans’ maiden exhibition ‘Pen to Graphics’ organised by the Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham
at the Kozhikode Town Hall, Vijayan did not deviate from what he had written about the illustrator seven years ago.“Like a writer who
had few doubts about his vocabulary, Chans’ brushes had few doubts as a painter,’ he sad. Vijayan went on to speak about how new
technology had influenced Chans. ‘The inventions in science and technology have created hurdles in the field of imagination. But
chandrasekharan knows how to overcome them. He has a mind that fears not the developments in the future.’ So, what inspired
Chandrasekharan to hold an exhibition now ? ‘I had quite a few collections. Well-wishers suggested I conduct an exhibition. Then with
an animation software, I re- worked some of the collections. This is how the exhibition materialised.’ said Chandrasekharan.
Abstract
A majority of the graphics accompanying stories, poems and write-ups these days dwell too much on the abstract. An abstract drawing is
imposed on the reader, said Chandrasekharan, who was an executive member of the Kerala lalithakala Akademi and member of Sahitya
Akademi. In a career spanning 34 years, Chans has worked as an artist for the Deshamani weekly, while simultaneously contributing to
publications such as India Today,Madhyamam,Vanitha, Manorama Annual, Sthreesabdam andChitrabhoomi.
The illustrations on display at the exhibition include his earlier drawings as well as the recent ones. Most were from the Deshabhimani,
as also sketches that accompanied the stories of N.S.Madhavan, M.Mukundan and Kamala Suraiyya in the annual of the Malayala
Manorama, and Balachandran Chullikad’s poem in memory of filmmaker Padmarajan in India Today.
The drawings on display are impressive- from the unquestionable lines to the non-ostentatious images. An undisturbed craft
The mouse and the pad have not disturbed his craft- whether it is the illustration of a festival or the postman and the woman, an artist at
work, a scene beside a dead body, cameraman on his job or those accompanying the serialised memoirs of former Chief Secreetary
D.Babu Paul in a local Malayalam magazine. As Vijayan said, Chans knows the language of the brush without getting diverted by
technology. ‘And that is his right and freedom’ he added.
By Biju Govind
12. 01. 2005