Artist A. Ramachandran's Legacy Finds a Permanent Home in Kolla, Kerala

Born in Attingal, Kerala, in 1935, Achutan Ramachandran Nair, widely known as A. Ramachandran, was one of India’s most distinguished contemporary artists. Renowned for his independence of thought and embrace of non-European modernisms, his oeuvre spans monumental mural-like paintings, delicate miniatures, watercolours, drawings, graphics, sculpture, and ceramics. Beyond his visual art, Ramachandran was a dedicated educator, as well as an author and illustrator of numerous children’s books. Over decades, his work evolved from stark portrayals of human suffering and social critique to lyrical celebrations of nature, beauty, and tribal life in Rajasthan.

Ramachandran’s artistic journey began in childhood, inspired by reproductions of Bengal School art and Kerala temple murals. A formative visit to Sri Chitralayam in Thiruvananthapuram, where he encountered works by Raja Ravi Varma, convinced him to dedicate his life to art. His vision of a personal museum was further shaped by a 1972 visit to the Iri and Toshi Maruki Museum in Japan, though the dream remained unrealised for decades. In 2023, during a period of illness, the Government of Kerala proposed creating a museum in his honour—a project Ramachandran embraced wholeheartedly, personally selecting key works from across his career.

The museum’s collection, generously supported and supplemented by the Ramachandran family, charts the full arc of his creative life. Highlights include twelve oil paintings curated by the artist, including three monumental lotus pond canvases, five watercolours, ten pen-and-ink drawings from the celebrated Insignificant Incarnation series, nine ink drawings of Mahatma Gandhi, and nine ceramic experiments including Water Bodies. Sculptural works feature the life-size installation In Trance and a Gandhi sculpture, conveying messages of truth and ahimsa. The collection also features his original artwork for children’s books and stamp designs.

The museum also recreates the atmosphere of his studio, displaying personal artifacts such as brushes, pigments, bowls, easels, aprons, and a Kerala wood carving from his Delhi studio.

The family expresses profound gratitude to the Honourable Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, Minister of Culture Shri Saji Cherian, and the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi for realising this vision. Though Ramachandran did not live to see the museum inaugurated, it opens today, 5th October 2025 at the Sree Narayana Guru Cultural Complex, Kolla, Kerala as a tribute to his legacy, inspiring future generations and fostering museum culture across India.

We speak to Dr. Rahul Ramachandran, Senior Research Scientist at NASA, as he reflects on the life and legacy of his father, A. Ramachandran.

1.⁠ ⁠How do you see your father's art contributing to the larger art landscape?

My father, A. Ramachandran, had a remarkable career spanning over five decades, during which he continuously redefined his artistic practice across distinct phases. In his early work, beginning in the mid-1960s, he emerged as a powerful and distinctive voice on the Indian art scene. He depicted urban suffering and social violence. He developed a visual idiom rich in dark humour and satire, tackling themes like post-Partition trauma and political manipulation. His paintings such as Encounter (1967) and the Puppet Series (1981) reflected his commitment to humanist ideals. This politically engaged phase reached a turning point in the mid-1980s with Yayati, a 60-foot mural that signaled a shift from documenting suffering to engaging with and celebrating aesthetic traditions. Disillusioned by the limitations of Western modernism, particularly after the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, he began reimagining Indian art through indigenous visual codes. He synthesized elements from Ajanta murals, traditional Indian sculptures, and miniature paintings to develop a personal visual grammar, turning his attention to the beauty of life and the richness of mythology.

In his later career, Ramachandran turned away from overt political commentary and focused on nature and cultural life in Bhil communities and the lotus ponds of Rajasthan. He approached the Bhils with anthropological sensitivity, finding in their lives a compelling alternative to the alienation of modernity. At a time when beauty was often dismissed as being superficial, he boldly reintroduced it as central to artistic meaning. His long engagement with lotus ponds, observed over three decades, reflects a deep understanding of nature as a living, interdependent system rather than a decorative backdrop. These works offer an ecological vision that challenges post-Enlightenment rationalism and suggests a more humane, less anthropocentric modernism.

Alongside his artistic innovations, he made lasting contributions to art education, teaching for nearly three decades at Jamia Millia Islamia and transforming its arts program. He also authored and illustrated numerous children’s books, using folk styles to broaden young readers' understanding of Indian visual traditions. His scholarly work on Kerala temple murals and his expansive library reflect a life dedicated to both creative and intellectual exploration.

2.⁠ ⁠What does it mean to you and the family to see his art housed in a museum?

My father wanted his art to be accessible to the public. He felt that a museum would be the best space for his art to be accessible to artists, those interested in art, and the general public. We are delighted that we could make his wish a reality.

3.⁠ ⁠Any never-before-seen artworks that will be showcased at the exhibition?

The reproduction of the painting, Midsummer Daydreams, to illustrate his painting technique, has never been displayed publicly before. Some of the drawings, especially the Gandhi drawings, have only been shown briefly in Delhi.

4.⁠ ⁠What do you hope the visitors will take away from the museum?

We hope that visitors will see the work of a Kerala artist who went out into the wide world and assimilated many other influences to enrich his creativity. He always believed that an artist should develop their own distinctive style and visual grammar. The museum will provide a new avenue for visitors to discover his art philosophy and practice.