Madhu Sudhanan

Madhu sudhanan, an active artist and a film maker, was born in 1956, in Allapuzha, a coastal district of Kerala. Since a very young age, Madhu began to show interest in drawings and painting, which later on became a driving force for his getting admission in Fine Arts College- Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, where Madhu studied Painting and afterwards at M.S University, Baroda, Gujarat, where the artist studied Print Making. Madhu, not only is a painter, but a film-maker, video-maker, and above all a philosopher, whose ideas reflect his deep-rooted desire for personal and political freedom, along with a dislike towards war and boundaries of body and heart. He was in his early life, greatly inspired by a mobile theatre from Andhra Pradesh; a 120-year old company which performed at temples and in villages.

Their performances invoked an interest for art and aesthetics in Madhusudhanan. Madhu may not be as famous as other artists, but his work is not only professional, but also philosophical. His paintings depict history, evolution and development. One of his famous paintings is ‘Archeology of Cinema’. He has also sketched ‘The Wagon Tragedy,’ in charcoal and displayed it in Italy. His paintings are exhibited in museums all over the world, including the Museum of Art in New Delhi. ‘‘All the World’s Futures ’’ in Italy (22 Nov 2015) and ‘Whorled Explorations’ in Noida, India (12 Dec 2014), are a few of his many exhibitions till date. Madhu also shares an association with the Vader Art Gallery.

Madhu has many documentaries and films to his credit- all in diverse languages. ‘Self Portrait’ - depicting the story of a street photographer, ‘History of a Silent Film’ – story of a cinema projector repairer, ‘Magic Lantern,’ etc. are movies directed by him, which reflect his intense and passionate ideas. His works won him many awards and a lot of fame: Special Jury Award for Direction, Best Editing Award, Best Film Award, etc. He has been working on a visual series of paintings and films for some time now. He has a deep desire to create something new and innovative, which his unique work reflects. He is quite different from other artists, and his work has a philosophical and intellectual touch. The 60-year-old artist is personally against torture and suppression. He craves for the ultimate freedom of humans.

References • The Gaze of Cinema • Scholars Watching Elephant