C. Douglas

C. Douglas, born in 1951 in Thalassery, Kerala, is a leading figure of Indian modernism and a prominent member of the Madras Art Movement. He studied painting at the Government College of Art and Craft, Chennai (1971–1976), where he was mentored by artists such as K. Ramanujam and A. P. Santhanaraj. After graduating, he joined the Cholamandal Artists’ Village, founded by K. C. S. Paniker, immersing himself in an environment that encouraged experimentation and philosophical engagement with art. His early works from the 1970s were characterized by figurative abstractions, symbolic motifs like fetus forms, and a distinctive sense of line and form.

From 1981 to 1988, Douglas lived in West Germany, where exposure to European Expressionism, particularly the works of Anselm Kiefer and Wols, had a profound impact on his style. His art evolved to embrace textured, layered surfaces achieved through experimental techniques such as crumpling, burning, washing, and layering paper and mixed media. His compositions often feature fragmented human forms, bandaged figures, and symbolic objects such as bells and mirrors, evoking themes of alienation, memory, and existential introspection. Using muted color palettes and tactile materials, Douglas creates works that invite viewers into a deeply emotional and contemplative experience.

Over the decades, Douglas has exhibited widely across India and internationally, including in Germany and the Netherlands, earning accolades such as the National Lalit Kala Akademi Award (1992), the Bharat Bhavan Biennale Award (1990), and multiple Tamil Nadu State Lalit Kala Akademi awards. His art resists easy categorization, blending philosophical inquiry with a powerful, textural visual language. Today, he continues to live and work at the Cholamandal Artists’ Village in Chennai, enriching contemporary Indian art through his introspective and richly layered practice.