: Artist P.S. Karunakaran, recipient of the Lalithakala Puraskaaram in 2005, died at his residence at Thalassery on Wednesday. He was 78.
The artist had been ailing from age-related health problems for some time. The funeral will be held at the NSS crematorium at Thalassery at 11 a.m. The body will be kept at the Kerala School of Arts at Thalassery, where the artist had taught for 32 years, at 10 a.m. for people to pay their last respects.
Mr. Karunakaran had also won the commendation certificate of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi at the State Exhibition of Art in 1995, Sankara Menon Endowment Gold Medal of the Akademi in 2002 and Puraskara Pathram for commendable work by the Kerala Chithrakala Parishath in 1996. He has also painted major landmarks of Thalassery, including historic monuments such as the Odathil mosque, Thalassery Fort, pier, Thiruvangad temple, St. John Anglican Church, and the shrine of St. Teresa of Avila at Mahe.
Condoled
The Kerala Lalithakala Akademi has condoled the death of Mr. Karunakaran. In a condolence message, Akademi chairman Kattur Narayanan Pillai and secretary Vaikkom M.K. Shibu said the artist had taken his creative talent to its heights through his paintings in traditional style, which he had bestowed on his large array of disciples.
