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K M ADIMOOLAM
 One
of the most significant catalysts in the contemporary art scene
in this part of India, Adimoolam has won through his art,
national and international acclaim.
Born in 1938, into an agricultural family at Keerambur Village
near Thuraiyur in Tiruchirapalli district, Adi's interest in drawing
started when he was in primary school. Appreciation from fellow
students and encouragement from his drawing teacher stoked his eagerness
to become an artist. Clearly, he was more interested in drawing
than in his subjects.
After coming to Chennai in 1959, he was introduced to artist and
sculptor Dhanapal, who motivated him to enrol in the School
of Arts and Crafts, Chennai. Adi obtained his Diploma in
Advanced Painting in 1966.
At the School
of Arts and Crafts, he absorbed influences from world art and the
French movement of Impressionism as well as other
significant movements which followed it. His willingness to experiment
was evident in his portrait studies and compositions. Folk culture
and the traditional art in temples had already had their impact
on him through childhood experiences.
In 1966 Adi began drawing Mahatma Gandhi, in his various
moods. He completed over a hundred such drawings, depicting 60 years
of the great man's life. 1966 was also the year when his association
with modern Tamil writers began. His drawings were published along
with modern poetry and small stories. He had also done a large number
of illustrations, book-cover designs and book layouts.
Adi took up full-time employment as a textile designer with the
Weavers Service Centre, Chennai. He evolved a new style of
drawing and as an experiment, started working with oil on canvas.
Subsequently, he became interested in non-figurative compositions
in black and white drawings known as the Space Series. He
then began to sketch a series of pen and ink drawings with unidirectional
lines. In search of greater freedom of expression he moved on to
abstract paintings based on nature, where the concept was minimalised
to the colours alone. Even as he was painting, he was also doing
a lot of drawings.
Adimoolam says, "My drawings and paintings help express my
feelings. My drawings are not the exact copy of what I have seen
through my eyes; but I feel they are the impressions of beauty,
which seem to constantly get imprinted on my inner vision and emerge
as black and white forms on paper".
Adimoolam has been the recipient of the Lalit Kala Akademi Award,
Academy of Fine Arts Calcutta Award, Bombay Art Society's
Award and Hyderabad Art Society Award. His solo and group
exhibitions have been held in India and abroad. Some of his works
are displayed in famous art galleries including the ones at the
National Art Gallery and Gandhi Museum in Chennai.
Address: K.M.Adimoolam,
2/157, East Cost Road, Injambakkam, Chennai 600 041.
Phone: 449 0830.
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