Kollam (Kerala) | A museum dedicated to the celebrated artist A Ramachandran will open to the public in Kollam on October 5, fulfilling his long-cherished wish to gift his paintings, sculptures and books to Kerala.
The museum has been set up inside the Sree Narayana Guru Cultural Complex and will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at 11 am, Kerala Lalithakala Akademi chairperson Murali Cheeroth told reporters here on Friday.
"This is the realisation of Ramachandran's wish, which the government acted on with great urgency while he was still alive," Cheeroth said.
"For the first time in the Akademi's history, an art collection worth Rs 300 crore is being secured," he said.
The 7,000-square-foot museum has been curated to international standards by art expert Shivakumar, said Cheeroth, who was joined by Akademi secretary Eby N Joseph, Department of Culture deputy director Manju M Kumar, and cartoonist Sudheernath.
Before the collection was moved to Kerala, an exhibition was held in Delhi in October 2023.
Hundreds of admirers gathered there, with Ramachandran attending in a wheelchair.
A celebrated Indian painter and sculptor, known for his large-scale adventurous works and deep engagement with Indian myth and aesthetics, Ramachandran died in Delhi, on February 10, 2024.
He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2005.
Although he is no longer alive to see the museum, his wife, painter Tan Yuan Chameli, will attend the inauguration as chief guest.
Their son Rahul, a scientist at NASA, and daughter Sujatha, a systems engineer in Canada, are also expected to be present.
As part of the event, the Akademi will release Malayalam translations of five children's books co-authored by Ramachandran and Chameli.
The translations were done by journalist and writer P Sudhakaran.
The ceremony will be chaired by Culture Minister Saji Cherian.
Finance Minister K N Balagopal, Minister J Chinjurani, Kollam Mayor Honey Benjamin, MLAs M Mukesh and M Noushad, Additional Chief Secretary Rajan Khobragade, Culture Department Director Divya S Iyer, Kollam District Collector Devidas N and senior officials of the Lalithakala Akademi will also attend.
