https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=R._Krishnan_%28artist%29R. Krishnan (artist) - Revision history2026-11-05T01:41:25ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=R._Krishnan_(artist)&diff=527678&oldid=prevDyanLeMessurier: created new entry...2026-03-14T20:33:29Z<p>created new entry...</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian tribal artist and Padma Shri awardee (died 2025)}}<br />
{{Infobox artist<br />
| name = R. Krishnan<br />
| image = | alt = <br />
| caption = <br />
| birth_name = <br />
| birth_date = {{Circa|1973}}<br />
| birth_place = Vellaricombai, [[Nilgiris district]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India<br />
| death_date = 25 March 2025 (aged 52)<br />
| death_place = [[Mettupalayam, Coimbatore|Mettupalayam]], [[Coimbatore district]], Tamil Nadu<br />
| known_for = [[Kurumba painting]]<br />
| movement = Tribal art<br />
| awards = [[Padma Shri]] (2026, posthumous)<br />
| spouse = Susheela<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''R. Krishnan''' (c. 1973 – 25 March 2025), also known as '''Kitna''', was an Indian artist from the [[Alu Kurumba]] tribal community in the [[Nilgiris district]] of [[Tamil Nadu]]. He is noted for his work in preserving Kurumba painting traditions by adapting motifs from rock art to canvas.<ref>{{cite news |title=The paints cure as renowned tribal artist 'Kitna' passes away in the Nilgiris |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/the-paints-cure-as-renowned-tribal-artist-kitna-passes-away-in-the-nilgiris/article69448555.ece |work=The Hindu |date=14 April 2025}}</ref> In 2026, the [[Government of India]] posthumously awarded him the [[Padma Shri]], the country's fourth-highest civilian award, for his contributions to Art.<ref>{{cite web |title=Padma Awards 2026 Press Note |url=https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/Padma_Awards2026W_25012026.pdf |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |title=Padma Awards 2026 announced |url=https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2218547 |publisher=Press Information Bureau |date=25 January 2026}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Biography ==<br />
Krishnan was born in the tribal settlement of Vellaricombai near [[Kotagiri]]. He belonged to the Alu Kurumba tribe, an indigenous community traditionally associated with honey gathering and forest medicine. He began painting at the age of six, learning the technique from his grandfather, Mathan.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tribal artist 'Kitna' - TNPSC Current Affairs |url=https://www.tnpscthervupettagam.com/currentaffairs-detail/tribal-artist-%E2%80%98kitna%E2%80%99?cat=personalities-awards-and-events |publisher=TNPSC Thervu Pettagam |date=18 April 2025}}</ref><br />
<br />
He worked as a daily wage laborer while continuing his artistic practice.<ref>{{cite news |title=A one-man show to revive the dying Kurumba art |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/a-one-man-show-to-revive-the-dying-kurumba-art/articleshow/55020865.cms |work=Times of India |date=24 October 2016}}</ref> In his later years, he resided in [[Mettupalayam, Coimbatore|Mettupalayam]]. Krishnan died on 25 March 2025 following an illness. He was survived by his wife, Susheela, and four children.<ref>[https://www.etvbharat.com/en/state/etv-bharat-impact-coimbatore-district-admin-assures-help-to-family-of-late-padma-shri-awardee-r-krishnan-enn26013000569 ETV Bharat Impact: Coimbatore District Admin Assures Help To Family Of Late Padma Shri Awardee R Krishnan]</ref><br />
<br />
== Art and style ==<br />
Krishnan's work focused on the documentation of Kurumba culture and rituals. His style was derived from the rock art found at archaeological sites such as Vellaricombai and Eluthu Paarai.<ref>{{cite journal |last=George |first=Jinu Koshy |title=A Reappraisal of Rock-art at Vellarikombi and its Kurumba Association and Continuity |journal=Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology |volume=5 |year=2017}}</ref><br />
<br />
He employed traditional methods, utilizing natural pigments sourced from the forest rather than synthetic paints. The palette typically included:<br />
* Yellow and Brown: Extracted from the resin of the ''Vengai'' tree (''[[Pterocarpus marsupium]]'').<br />
* Green: Obtained from plant leaves.<ref>{{cite web |title=Keeping Kurumba Art Alive: Preserving a Tribal Legacy of Tamil Nadu |url=https://www.memeraki.com/blogs/posts/keeping-kurumba-art-alive |publisher=MeMeraki |date=30 June 2025}}</ref><br />
* Black: Derived from burnt wood or bark.<br />
<br />
Common subjects in his paintings included tribal deities, honey harvesting, and local fauna such as the [[Great hornbill]].<br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
* [https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/Padma_Awards2026W_25012026.pdf Ministry of Home Affairs - Padma Awards 2026 List]<br />
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Art}}<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krishnan, R.}}<br />
[[Category:1973 births]]<br />
[[Category:2025 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Artists from Tamil Nadu]]<br />
[[Category:People from Nilgiris district]]<br />
[[Category:Adivasi people]]<br />
[[Category:21st-century Indian painters]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian painters]]<br />
[[Category:Scheduled Tribes of Tamil Nadu]]<br />
[[Category:Indian folk artists]]<br />
[[Category:Painters from Tamil Nadu]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts]]</div>DyanLeMessurier