Artist and sculptor G.Sunilkumar, who was active in the Radical Painters and Sculptors Association in the 1980s, passed away here on Wednesday following COVID-19-related health complications. He was 61.
A resident of Kovalam, his works reflected the lives and landscapes of coastal regions. Some of his notable works in the later years were on stained glass.
In the 1980s, as a student at the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, he became a part of the radical group, a proletarian art movement that eschewed the existing visual styles, that created ripples in the art world across the country.
“Sunilkumar was a dedicated art student during those days. He was active in the radical group. He used to be mentally very alert observing the world around him to make it reflect in his art. Unlike many other artists, he was concerned about society as a whole. He was of the opinion that artists should not be idle, but remain active. With a wish to help other artists, he set up an art gallery at Kovalam too,” says sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman, who used to teach at Fine Arts College.
Kunhiraman remembers that the radical movement brought about positive changes in the college too, as protests against the policies of the administration were also part of the group’s concerns along with their experiments in art.
A.S. Sajith, former Principal of the College of Fine Arts, remembers the exhibitions Sunilkumar used to organise at his gallery in Kovalam. “His sketches are notable for the powerful lines he employed,” says Sajith.
Sunilkumar had later worked as an art teacher at the College of Fine Arts, the College of Architecture, Thiruvananthapuram, and the RLV College of Fine Arts, Thripunithura.