P. S. Nandhan (b. 1940)
Painter and sculptor P.S. Nandhan is a Cholamandal-based artist whose works occupy an important place within the legacy of the Madras Art Movement. Trained as a painter, he began working on sculpture from the 1970s onwards. Clay, a material familiar to him from childhood, and granite, which has rich tonal variations, are his favorite sculptural media.
With a Diploma in Painting and in the advance course with distinctions from the Government School of Arts and Crafts, Chennai, in 1968, Nandhan, who was already a life member of the Cholamandal Artists’ Village, started his experiments with sculpting in clay, sheet metal, bronze, brick, wood, and granite. Nandhan is an exciting personality in the Cholamandal Artists Village. He named his space ‘Thilakam’, meaning the focal point or spot of energy in any living thing. In the Village, Nandhan feels he is the self-sustaining core of all that goes on, creating impressive sculptures and intriguing drawings that inspire the other artists. His ambition is to be an expanding Thilakam—one that is central to the village, then later Chennai and India, then subsequently, after his death, ’anucleus of artistry for all the world.’ Honored with the National Award by the Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi, and the Senior Fellowship by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, Nandhantirelessly creates and has exhibited profusely. To name just a few of his shows: 1976 Taj Coromandel Hotel, Chennai, on the occasion of the 25th International Pugwash Conference; 1978 ‘40 Artists of Madras’, organized by the British Council, Chennai; 1990 International exhibition of ‘Asian-European Art’, Biennale, Ankara, Turkey; and 1991 ‘The Madras Metaphorexhibition organized by Ebraim Alkazi at Art Heritage Gallery, New Delhi. He has been featured in the books ‘The Madras Metaphor’ and ‘The Algebra of Figuration by Oxford University Press. He is collected avidly all over the world too!