Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], October 27 : Contemporary artist C Douglas and sculptor NN Rimzon have been selected for the Keralam government’s Raja Ravi Varma Awards for 2023 and 2024, the state government announced on Tuesday.
The Raja Ravi Varma Award, Keralam’s highest honour in visual arts, recognises outstanding contributions to the field. Each award carries a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh, a citation and a sculpture designed by artist Kanayi Kunhiraman.
Tourism, Culture and Cinema Minister PC Vishnunath announced the awardees at a press conference attended by Keralam Lalithakala Akademi Chairman Prof S Prakash Murthy and Secretary Vaikom MK Shibu.
C Douglas, born in Thalassery in 1951, is a prominent Indian artist associated with the Madras Art Movement. The jury selected him for the 2023 award, highlighting his universal humanist outlook and artistic style that transcends regional preferences.
The jury noted that his work reflects a long and experimental journey in contemporary Indian painting.
Known for his introspective and human-centred approach, Douglas uses chalk, charcoal and crayon on rolled paper to explore human vulnerability through semi-abstract compositions. His artistic practice combines abstraction, figurative metaphors, patterns and rhythms to convey emotion through lines and colour.
After studying at the Government College of Arts and Crafts in Madras, he worked at Cholamandal Artists’ Village. His career accolades include the Lalit Kala Akademi’s National Award in New Delhi in 1992 and cultural fellowships from the Central Government for 1991-93 and 1994-96.
In 1994, Douglas received a Charles Wallace Grant to study ceramics in the Netherlands.
The jury that selected him for the 2023 award was chaired by senior artist P Gopinath. Its other members were R Shanthamani, Dr CS Jayaram, TV Santhosh and member secretary Raji R Pillai, who was then serving as the Academy’s secretary-in-charge.
Sculptor NN Rimzon, who was born in Kakkoor in Ernakulam district in 1957, has been selected for the 2024 award for his contributions to sculpture and contemporary art.
The jury highlighted his diverse body of work, exhibited at major exhibitions in India and abroad since the 1980s. It also noted his influence on artists across generations.
Rimzon is known for a conceptual approach to sculpture, drawing inspiration from Indian sculptural traditions and the idea of the “home” to explore contemporary social and political realities. His symbolic works incorporate materials such as metal, fibreglass and stone, while his drawings have also attracted attention in recent years.
He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, completed in 1982; a Master of Fine Arts degree from MS University, Baroda, in 1984; and a Master of Arts degree from the Royal College of Art, London, in 1989.
Rimzon taught sculpture at the College of Fine Arts in Thiruvananthapuram for several years and served as its principal from 2011 to 2014. His practice spans sculpture, installations, painting and drawing, informed by minimalism and conceptual art.
The jury for the 2024 award was chaired by senior artist Pushpamala N and included R Nandakumar, Surendran Nair and member secretary Raji R Pillai.
The Keralam government instituted the Raja Ravi Varma Award in recognition of the legendary artist’s contributions to Indian painting and the wider art world. Named after an artist widely regarded as a defining figure in the Indian imagination of art, the honour is the state’s highest award in visual arts.