Yusuf Arakkal Biography 
Yusuf Arakkal was a well-known painter and artist from Kerala, who lived during the period, 1945-2016. As a successful painter, he has conducted many solo and group exhibitions in India as well as abroad, and earned many accolades. Noted writer and art critic P. Surendran’s recent book named Velichathinte Paryayangal was based on the life of Yusuf Arakkal. Arakkal died in Bangalore on 4 October 2016 at the age of 70. Bacon’s Man with the Child and Priest is his masterpiece work, which earned him the prestigious Lorenzo De Medici Gold Medal, at Florence Internazionale Biennale, in Florence, Italy.
Yusuf Arakkal was born in the year 1945 in Chavakkad, Thrissur. He lost both his parents during his childhood. After that he moved to Bangalore. But he was dreaming to become a painter then. While at Bangalore he faced a lot of hardships. But he succeeded as an artist. He took a diploma in painting from Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat. Later he specialized in graphic print making from National Academy community studios, Garhi, Delhi. His paintings are singularly expressionistic in style, and he painted on different canvases.
In the 1990s he conducted many solo exhibitions in foreign countries. He conducted his first solo international exhibition at Siux, Limousin, France in 1992. It was titled Relays De Monts. He has conducted solo exhibitions in New York, Nepal, France, Singapore, London etc. Crimson hosted around six shows of Arakkal starting 1990 onwards – on different subjects and in various mediums. His first show at the gallery was his ‘King’ series. Karnataka Lalithkala Academy award in 1979 and 1981, National award in 1983, Special award at Asian Art Biennale Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1986 and Karnataka Lalithkala Academy honor in 1989 are among the major honours received by him.
Published: November 18, 2018
Updated: November 18, 2018
