(1911 - 1977)
Born in 1911, in Coimbatore, K.C.S. Panicker was one of the best metaphysical and abstract Indian painters of his time. He was also one of the founding fathers of Cholamandalam, the artist village near Chennai. He began painting at the age of 12 and by the age of 17, was already exhibiting his work at the Madras Fine Art Society’s Annual Shows. At the age of 25 he joined the Government School of Arts and Crafts in Chennai, where he later also became the principal. Since 1941, he began holding solo shows in Chennai and Delhi. However it was in 1954 that he first got international exposure, holding exhibitions in London and Paris. Panicker has exhibited in numerous galleries and museums in India and abroad. Between 1964 and 1967, he participated in the Tokyo Biennale, Festival Hall Exhibition, London, and the Venice Biennale, where he won the National Award for Painting. Most recently his work was featured in the 2011 ‘Manifestations V’ at the Delhi Art Gallery in New Delhi, as well as in the 2008 – 2009 ‘Modern India’ show organized by Instiut Valencia d’Art Modern (IVAM) and Casa Asia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture at Valencia, Spain. Paniker passed away in Chennai at the age of 66, in January 1977.