 at a workshop by artist John Baby (left) at the art room of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in December.jpg.image.160.84.jpg)
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Artist Namboothiri with MT Vasudevan Nair. Photo: Sameer HameedWe know each other for a long time, about 50 years. We have worked together. We are from the same place. Namboothiri stands out as the most talented artist of our time. He is a master of a variety of mediums including drawings, paintings, copper-plate reliefs and sculpting in both stone and wood.
I used to send the manuscript of “Randamoozham” to his house at Bilathikkulam in Kozhikode as and when I finished three or four chapters. He did not need any directions on how to illustrate it. He knew how to draw mythological characters. He has deep knowledge in literature, music and Kathakali and that shows in his works.
We became close when we worked together. I had gone to see him even before that when I heard he was illustrating Ramayana on the walls of the Poomulli Mana. The house is on the way to my native village. I knew people there. By the time I reached Poomulli Mana, Namboothiri was gone from there.
Even now I pay him a visit whenever I travel through Ponnani and Edappal or to Thrissur. He would visit me when he comes to Kozhikode. His elder son lives in Kozhikode. We do not wait for birthdays or other celebrations to visit each other.
We chatted for some time when he came to my house two weeks ago. He said he was planning to draw on the walls of his house and he was going to prepare the wall for it. He has much work left with him. His mind is active. And he is in good health.
Once we were organising a drama festival in Kozhikode. Namboothiri, Aravindan, Pattathuvila Karunakaran and me were part of it. Surasu’s “Viswaroopam” was selected as the best play. Someone suggested that we should present a memento along with the prize money.
Namboothiri and me went to the timbre export yard of our friend Puthukkudi Balan. We collected several pieces of rosewood from the yard. It’s not easy to work on rosewood. Namboothiri worked for two days and nights to make a dozen mementos. We presented them along with the prize money for the selected plays.
My hearty prayer is for him to be with us for a long time and to give us many more works.
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