The College of Fine Arts organized an event on the 57th death anniversary of artist TK Padmini here on Monday evening.
College principal Manoj Kannan, who delivered the presidential address, said Padmini was way ahead of her time in integrating feminist perspectives and elements of German expressionism into her art. Although mentored under KCS Paniker, she has developed her own artistic voice and visual style.
Recalling her contributions to modern art in Kerala, he noted that Padmini had shown exceptional mastery in blending and merging colors in her paintings. Remembering and re-evaluating Padmini is a must these days, he said.
A lecture titled “A Critical Approach to TK Padmini” was delivered by AS Sajth, former Principal of the college. He placed Padmini’s works within the broader development of modern art, referencing movements such as German Expressionism, New Objectivity, and Neoplasticism. He also drew parallels between Padmini and artists such as Paula Modersohn Becker and Amrita Sher-Gil.
“In her early paintings, Padmini mainly depicted the world she was familiar with, including labourers, agricultural life and the rural environment. However, her later works reflected the condition of women in her period and carried a distinct modernist approach in style and expression,” he said.
After the speech, the state award winning documentary Pattam Parathunna Penkutti directed by Walter D’Cruz was screened. The documentary traced the various phases of Padmini’s life and concluded that her paintings deserve a new reading and critical introspection.
Published – 12 May 2026 21:53 IST
