Balan Nambiar

Balan Nambiar (Malayalam: ബാലൻ നമ്പ്യാര്‍; born 12 November 1937 in Kannapuram) is an Indian painter, sculptor, enamellist, photographer and an academic researcher.

Balan Nambiar
ബാലൻ നമ്പ്യാര്‍
Balan Nambiar's sculpture studio in 2005
Born (1937-11-12) 12 November 1937
Kannapuram, Madras Presidency, British India
NationalityIndian
Known forPaintings, sculptures, researches on ritual art
Notable work
Valampiri Shanka, The Sky is the Limit
AwardsIndia National award for sculpture, Nehru fellowship for research

Biography
Kadamkottu Makkam and Chiru Teyyams

As a sculptor he worked with clay, fiberglass reinforced concrete, wood, bronze, mild steel and, from 2000, stainless steel.[1][2][3][4][5] Many of his works are outdoor sculptures; some are monumental.[6] He produced enamel paintings,[7][8] having learned the technique from Paolo De Poli of Padua, Italy.[9] His creative works were exhibited in national and international art exhibitions, including Venice Biennale in 1982,[10][11] Constructa-78 in Hannover in 1978, Triennale India in New Delhi in 1975.[12] Works by him are in the permanent collection of many museums.

Balan Nambiar has extensively studied, photographed and documented hundreds of ritual performances and art forms of the Indian west coast as Teyyam and Bhuta.[13] Articles and photographs by him are published in books. Around 1800 of his photographs have been acquired by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts,[14] New Delhi.[15]

He received awards both for creative works and academic research: India National Award in 1981 and Karnataka State Award in 1980 of Lalit Kala Academy (National Academy of Fine Arts) for his sculptures, Senior Fellowship of the India Ministry of Culture in 1982–83 and Nehru Fellowship of Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund in 1983–85[16] for academic research, Academy Fellowship of the Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy in 2005 for creative works,[17] Pravasi Kalaratna Fellowship of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi in 2013 for painting.[18] The Government of Kerala awarded him the 2014 Raja Ravi Verma Puraskaram, the highest state award in the art category, in 2015.[19] National Gallery of Modern Art, Bangalore held the retrospective of six decades of work by Nambiar in February 2018, which was curated by Sadanand Menon

He has been chairman of the Lalit Kala Academi, New Delhi,[20] member of the General Council of Lalit Kala Academy,[21] member of the Central Advisory Board on Culture, India.[22]

Major works
Sculpture for Timken, 2004
Poetry in architecture, 2004
The Sky is the Limit, 2010
  • Monument to the Assassinated, Kota stone, steel and granite, 2.5 x 5.6 x 1.8 m., Goethe-Institut Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi, 1995[23]
  • Valampiri Shankha, stainless steel, 2.4 m. high, Indian Institute of Science, gifted by Texas Instruments, Bangalore, 2000[24]
  • Hanging sculpture, stainless steel, 5.3 m. high, ING-Vysya Bank, Bangalore, 2003[25]
  • Sculpture for Timken, stainless steel, 6.02 m. high, TIMKEN, Bangalore, 2004[26][27]
  • Kannati Bimbam, 2007[28]
  • The Sky is the Limit, stainless steel, 6.5 m. high, Indian Oil Corporation, New Delhi, 2010[29][30]

Collections

See more in Shrishti Art Gallery, India.[35]

Publications on ritual art
  • Nambiar, Balan (2014). "Veeralipattu, Valampiri Shankha, Kannadi Bimbam". Kottayam, Kerala State, India: DC Books. ISBN 978-81-264-5348-1 (Malayalam)
  • Nambiar, Balan (2011). "Ancient Ritual Objects and Modern Sculptures: The Metal Mirrors and Valampiri Conches of Kerala". In Narasimha, Roddam (ed.). History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization. Munshirm Manoharlal. pp. 407–422. ISBN 81-87586-494.
  • Nambiar, Balan (2009). "Mythos und Kunsthandwerk (Rituals, myths and handicrafts)". In Beltz, Johannes. Wenn Masken tanzen – Rituelles Theater und Bronzekunst aus Südindien. Museum Rietberg, Zürich, pp. 19–55. ISBN 978-3-907077-40-5 (German)
  • Nambiar, Balan (2001). "Masks in the ritual arts of the west coast of southern India". In Malik, S.C. Man, Mind and Mask, IGNCA, New Delhi, pp. 267–271. ISBN 81-7305-192-5
  • Nambiar, Balan (2000). "Teyyam, the Ritual Performing Arts of northern Kerala". In Goswamy, B.N. History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization: Indian Art, pp. 265–277, New Delhi. ISBN 81-215-0904-1
  • Nambiar, Balan (1993). "Tai paradevata: Ritual impersonation in the Teyyam tradition of Kerala". In Brückner H., Lutze L., Malik A. Flags of fame, Studies in South Asian folk culture, pp. 139–163, South Asia Books, ISBN 81-7304-049-4[36]
  • Nambiar, Balan., Fisher E. (1987) "Patola / Virali pattu – from Gujarat to Kerala". Lang, Peter, Asiatische Studien 41,2: 120–146, 1987[37] (German)
  • Nambiar, Balan (1981). "Gods and Ghosts – Teyyam and Bhuta rituals". Doshi, Saryu (ed) The performing Arts, Marg Volume 34, Issues 3–4, Bombay, 1981, pp 62–73

References
  1. Chawla, Rupika (1995). Surface and Depth: Indian Artists at Work. New Delhi: Viking. p. 183. ISBN 9780670861743.
  2. De, Aditi (2004). Articulations. Voices from Contemporary Indian Visual Art. Delhi: Rupa & Company. ISBN 9788171677481.
  3. Mago, Pram Nath (2001). Contemporary Art in India: A perspective. India: National Book Trust. pp. 69, 140. ISBN 8123734204.
  4. Matthan, Ayesha (14 March 2009). "Colours of perspective". The Hindu.
  5. Dhar, Dwarka Nath (1981). The Indian architect, Volume 23. K. Dhar. p. 91.
  6. Gopalakrishnana, K.K. (3 February 2006). "A style of his own". The Hindu, Thiravananthapuram. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  7. Ebrahim, Alkazi. Art Heritage 10 1990–91. New Delhi: Art Heritage Publication.
  8. Catherine B., Asher (2004). India 2001: reference encyclopedia. South Asia Publications. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-945921-42-4.
  9. an interview with Balan Nambiar, in Sisir Battacharya (director). Balan Nambiar on ETV Yuva Bharat (Television production). India: ETV Yuva Bharat. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014.
  10. Carluccio, Luigi (1982). La Biennale di Venezia: visual arts; general catalogue 1982. Milan: Electa. pp. 130–131. ISBN 8820802937.
  11. from "Venice Biennale mediateca". ASAC – Archivio Storico delle Arti Contemporanee. La Biennale di Venezia. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  12. "Third Triennale-India 08 Feb 21 Mar 1975". Asian Art Archive. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  13. Assayag and Fuller (2005). Globalizing India: perspectives from Below. London and New York: Anthem Press. p. 207. ISBN 9781843311942. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  14. "Ethnographoc collection". Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. IGNCA, Delhi. Archived from the original on 3 July 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  15. India 1988–89 a reference annual. India: Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. 1 January 1990.
  16. "List of Jawaharlal Nehru Fellows". Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  17. "Akademi Fellowships". Kerala Lalithakala Akademi. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  18. "Kala Ratna fellowships". The Hindu. 19 January 2014.
  19. "Raja Ravi Verma Puraskaram". The Hindu. 18 March 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  20. "Shri Balan Nambiar appointed as the Acting Chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi". Lalit Kala Academy. Archived from the original on 27 March 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  21. "General Council Members". Lalit Kala Akademi. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  22. "Manual VIII Central Advisory Board on Culture" (PDF). Ministry of Culture, India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  23. Girja, Kumar (1997). The book on trial: fundamentalism and censorship in India. New Delhi: Har-Anand Publications. ISBN 8124105251.
  24. David, Stephen (30 October 2000). "Man of Steel". India Today. 25.
  25. "Stainless Steel abounds in Ing Vysya Bank, Bangalore" (PDF). Stainless India. 9 (3/2): 2. February 2004. ISSN 0971-9482.
  26. Ravindran, Nirmala (17 May 2004). "Steeling the show". India Today.
  27. Hindley, Agnieszka (15 March 2004). "Heavy metal". The Hindu.
  28. Goswamy, B. N. (9 December 2007). "Reflections of divinity". The Tribune.
  29. Gopalakrishnan, K. K. (15 October 2010). "Saying it with steel". The Hindu.
  30. "Stainless Sculpture 'The Sky is the Limit' Celebrates 50 years of the Indian Oil Corporation" (PDF). Stainless India. 15 (2): 1–2. June 2010. ISSN 0971-9482.
  31. National Gallery of Modern Art "Collection". National Gallery Modern Art. Retrieved 19 July 2014., India
  32. Tamil Nadu State Administration Report 1071-1972. Madras: Government of Tamil Nadu. 1974. p. 306.
  33. "Balan Nambiar". Museum of Sacred Arts. Archived from the original on 17 January 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  34. Jakimowicz, Marta (4 October 2003). "Between urban and cosmic spaces". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  35. "Artists profile". Shrishti Art Gallery. Archived from the original on 7 January 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  36. "South Asia Institute of Heidelberg University". Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  37. "Publikationsliste von Eberhard Fischer" (PDF). Rietberg Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 August 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
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