Born in 1946 in Thiruvalla, a small town twenty-five kilometers off the coast of Kerala, P.M Prasanna Kumar chose art as a vocation at a time when no one in his community could even accept such a profession. He began his art education under the tutelage of Sri N.N Nambiar, Vice Chairperson of the Kerala State Lalit Kala Academy and went on to complete his Diploma in Art from the Madras College of Arts.
The five years he spent in college were the founding years of his life as he was taught by great artists like Sri K.C.S Panikker. From 1965 onwards he was an active participant in the Academy exhibitions. As a firstyear student he won the Lalit Kala Academy Award for painting and in 1966 exhibited graphics with the Kerala Chitra Kala Parishat, Alleppey. In 1967 he won the Lalit Kala Academy Scholarship which was for a period of three years. In the same year he won the Academy Cash Award for the Annual exhibition and also participated in the National Exhibition in New Delhi. He exhibited his works in the Young Writers and Artists League in New Delhi as also in Group Shows in Chennai and in the Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 1968 he conducted a solo exhibition in Chennai. It was during this time that he began specializing in Batik.
In 1970 he completed the Diploma with a first class specializing in fine arts. He began working as an art teacher at the Asan Memorial School. In 1974 he joined Rishi Valley School as an art teacher. He spent almost the next two decades in the school where he developed the Art and Craft section. He developed Batik, Tie and Dye and Leather craft to such an extent that they became part of the art education of the school. During this period he continued to work with Batik as a medium of expression. He sold his Batiks through the Victoria Technical Institute and Kerala State Handicrafts Corporation, Chennai. He also exhibited his works in an art gallery in London. Thus his batiks became part of various national and international collections all over the world. In the late eighties he conducted a lecture demonstration of Batik as a special invitee at the Victoria Technical Institute as part of their jubilee celebrations.
While in Rishi Valley he offered training to the rural community in needle craft, pottery and block printing as part of a project for the surrounding villages.
He also conducted workshops in Kannur in Batik and tie and dye under the aegis of the Rotary Club and in Kottayam for women with talent.
In 1991 Prasanna Kumar joined the Indian School, Al Ghubra as its first art teacher. The exhibitions that he organized of the children’s works were popular all over Muscat and were an inspiration for many young ones. In 1999 he returned due to personal reasons but was requested to rejoin the school in 2004 January.
In 2009 Prasanna Kumar returned to his hometown Thiruvalla. Today he visits various schools as an art expert and trains talented children. He is also experimenting with Batik and has conducted various exhibitions. In 2014 he together with three other artists exhibited his work at the Lalit Kala Akademi galleries in Alappuzha and Ernakulam. He also conducted an exhibition at the K.C.S Panikker Art Gallery in Thiruvananthapuram towards the end of 2014. He participated in the National Crafts Exhibition organized by the Ministry of Textiles in Madurai in December,2013 and in Kochi in 2014.
In 2014 he participated in the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Camp at Kodanad as well as in the Akademi Kalaris held in Kottayam and Changanacherry.
He conducted a three day Batik camp under the aegis of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi in the 2nd week of November 2015.
Today he is working on innovative techniques in Batik and actively trains young talent.
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Vendor Biography
Born in 1946 in Thiruvalla, a small town twenty-five kilometers off the coast of Kerala, P.M Prasanna Kumar chose art as a vocation at a time when no one in his community could even accept such a profession. He began his art education under the tutelage of Sri N.N Nambiar, Vice Chairperson of the Kerala State Lalit Kala Academy and went on to complete his Diploma in Art from the Madras College of Arts.
The five years he spent in college were the founding years of his life as he was taught by great artists like Sri K.C.S Panikker. From 1965 onwards he was an active participant in the Academy exhibitions. As a firstyear student he won the Lalit Kala Academy Award for painting and in 1966 exhibited graphics with the Kerala Chitra Kala Parishat, Alleppey. In 1967 he won the Lalit Kala Academy Scholarship which was for a period of three years. In the same year he won the Academy Cash Award for the Annual exhibition and also participated in the National Exhibition in New Delhi. He exhibited his works in the Young Writers and Artists League in New Delhi as also in Group Shows in Chennai and in the Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 1968 he conducted a solo exhibition in Chennai. It was during this time that he began specializing in Batik.
In 1970 he completed the Diploma with a first class specializing in fine arts. He began working as an art teacher at the Asan Memorial School. In 1974 he joined Rishi Valley School as an art teacher. He spent almost the next two decades in the school where he developed the Art and Craft section. He developed Batik, Tie and Dye and Leather craft to such an extent that they became part of the art education of the school. During this period he continued to work with Batik as a medium of expression. He sold his Batiks through the Victoria Technical Institute and Kerala State Handicrafts Corporation, Chennai. He also exhibited his works in an art gallery in London. Thus his batiks became part of various national and international collections all over the world. In the late eighties he conducted a lecture demonstration of Batik as a special invitee at the Victoria Technical Institute as part of their jubilee celebrations.
While in Rishi Valley he offered training to the rural community in needle craft, pottery and block printing as part of a project for the surrounding villages.
He also conducted workshops in Kannur in Batik and tie and dye under the aegis of the Rotary Club and in Kottayam for women with talent.
In 1991 Prasanna Kumar joined the Indian School, Al Ghubra as its first art teacher. The exhibitions that he organized of the children’s works were popular all over Muscat and were an inspiration for many young ones. In 1999 he returned due to personal reasons but was requested to rejoin the school in 2004 January.
In 2009 Prasanna Kumar returned to his hometown Thiruvalla. Today he visits various schools as an art expert and trains talented children. He is also experimenting with Batik and has conducted various exhibitions. In 2014 he together with three other artists exhibited his work at the Lalit Kala Akademi galleries in Alappuzha and Ernakulam. He also conducted an exhibition at the K.C.S Panikker Art Gallery in Thiruvananthapuram towards the end of 2014. He participated in the National Crafts Exhibition organized by the Ministry of Textiles in Madurai in December,2013 and in Kochi in 2014.
In 2014 he participated in the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Camp at Kodanad as well as in the Akademi Kalaris held in Kottayam and Changanacherry.
He conducted a three day Batik camp under the aegis of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi in the 2nd week of November 2015.
Today he is working on innovative techniques in Batik and actively trains young talent.