V. Balan

V. Balan (17 October 1942 – 22 January 2002), popularly known as Artist V. Balan, was a sculptor and painter from India. He was born the son of Chellamma and Venketachelam Pillai in the small temple town of Perumbavoor, Kerala. In 1962 he earned a Diploma from the Cochin School of Art. Immediately after his studies, he started teaching at the same school. In 1970 he moved to Chennai as a freelance artist.
At Chennai, he did his first ever Mosaic Art of the Risen Lord for a chapel of Salesian Provincialate. From 1972 onwards, he started designing the interiors of churches throughout India and acquired fame as an artist and architect of Christian places of worship.
Ten years later he moved to Bangalore and established his studio, Arte Sacra, near the National Biblical, Catechetical and Liturgical Centre.
Introduction to Christian art.
For 15 years until 1982 Balan lived in Madras. His talents were versatile, varying from canvas to mosaic, from metal to wood and from sculpture to architecture. He executed Christian works in different parts of the country from the North – Rishikesh in the Himalayas – to the south and even to Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, he renovated the interior of St. Mary's Church at Negombo. He was the chief designer of the interior and the façade of the Stella Maris Cathedral in Port Blair, Andaman Islands. He later did more than 300 works related to churches and religious institutions during his tenure in Madras.
The artist on the move.
In 1983 Balan moved from Madras to Kothanur, a peaceful village in the suburbs of Bangalore, where he built his studio, Tapovan. Many disciples attended the training centre, which was set up along with the studio for young artists in simple Gurukula style – Kalakshetra.
Multifaceted talent.
Balan was very passionate in painting right through his career. Though Balan is often identified with his characteristic mosaic art, his sculptures reveal his profound artistic talent more than any other medium. "The queen of the apostles" is a unique presentation of the theme at the Shrine of St. Vincent Pallotti, Bangalore. The visualization of "The song of creation" of Francis of Assisi is a relief sculpture with copper finish.
The gigantic relief sculpture measuring 125×42 in the Sanctuary of the St. Vincent Pallotti's Shrine, Banasawadi, Bangalore depicts salvation history from creation to the resurrection as a background to the 45' high resurrection figure and the Christian Community gathered in worship. The sculptor in Balan is clearly seen in the peculiar forms and shapes of altars and tabernacles he has given shape in wood, stone and metal in different churches.
Balan also works in the medium of metal. The peculiar metallic figures and images cast in his studio are a manifestation of his multifaceted talent. Traditional stained glass was another favorite medium of Balan.
The architectural talent in Balan was a natural extension of the artist in him. His clear and detailed drawings for churches are proof of that architectural mettle and precision. He designed and executed many churches in India and abroad.
The silent man.
Balan kept away from the limelight and media. He never put a signature on his paintings, mosaics or murals. He was little known as a person and loved his anonymity. He never satisfied with any of his works and always thought it could have been done better.