For Kozhikode, artist Namboodiri is a name remembered along with Vaikom Muhammed Basheer, V.K.N., K. Raghavan, and M.T. Vasudevan Nair. The city has been home to the artist ever since he joined Mathrubhumi fresh out of art school. Moreover, he was an integral part of the cultural diaspora of the city for a very long time.
Also Read | Artist Namboothiri leaves behind a legacy of indelible images
Living amid so many talented writers and being in their friends’ circle had influenced Namboodiri and vice versa. Namboodiri’s illustrations elevated readers’ experience of M.T. Vasudevan Nair’s Randamoozham, Thikkodiyan’s Chuvanna Kadal, V.K.N.’s Pithamahan, and Punathil Kunjabdulla’s Smarakasilakal. However, the artist’s close relationship with these writers helped him understand their thoughts much better. This symbiotic relationship also resulted in some of the best illustrations the country has ever seen.
