Kochi: Renowned painter C.N Karunakaran passed away at a private hospital here on Saturday. He was 73.
Karunakaran was born in 1940 at Brahmakulam, near Guruvayur, in Thrissur district.
He has done diplomas in design and painting from the Government School of Arts and Crafts, Chennai under renowned artists D.P. Roy Choudhari and K.C.S. Panikker.
After completing his studies, Karunakaran worked as art director and made ad films in Chennai. He returned to Kerala in 1970, to take charge of Kalapeetom (Kerala Institute of Arts) in Kochi.
He started "Chitrakoodam", which was the first private art gallery in Kerala (1973 to 1977). He has worked as art director for Malayalam movies such as Aswathamavu, Ore Thooval Pakshikal, Akkare, Purushartham and Aaleesinte Anweshanam.