M. V. Devan
M. V. Devan (Madhathil Vasudevan) (15 January 1928 – 29 April 2014) was an Indian painter, sculptor, writer, art critic and public speaker. He was born in Panniyannur, Thalassery, Kerala, and died in Aluva, Kerala at age 86. He was married to Sreedevi and had two daughters, Jameela and Shalini; his grandchildren are Aparna, Ashwin and Sidharth.
Devan helped shape Kerala’s art and culture. He was a founder member of Cholamandal Artists’ Village and was involved in starting Malayala Kalagramam in New Mahe and Kalagramam in Kollam. He played a key role in establishing the Chennai Lalit Kala Akademi as its founder secretary and later became chairman of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi in 1977. He also ran an architectural design firm, Perunthachan, designing about 450 buildings.
Education and early work: After finishing high school in 1946, he studied painting at the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai, under D. P. Roy Choudhury and K. C. S. Paniker. He returned to Kerala and worked as a staff artist for Mathrubhumi (1952–1961). He later worked as an art consultant for the Southern Languages Book Trust in Chennai and for FACT (Fedo) in New Delhi.
Devan published an essay collection, Devaspandanam, in 2001. His major work, Devaspandanam, earned the Vayalar Award (2000) and the Mathrubhumi Literary Award (2003), and he also received the Malayattoor Award. He held fellowships from the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi and the Chennai Lalitkala Akademi, as well as other honors including the Critics Award and the M. K. Nair Award.
In 2019, his family started the M. V. Devan Puraskaram to honor outstanding figures in visual arts; the first recipient was NKP Muthukoya. Devan’s life and work are remembered through exhibitions, writings, and a documentary about him titled Devaspandanam.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 04:53 (CET).