M. T. V. Acharya

M.T.V. Acharya (1920 – c. 1992) was a painter, illustrator and art educator, most famous for his work for the popular Indian children's magazine Chandamama.

Acharya won prizes for his painting during his student days in the Mysore Dasara Exhibition. Initially, he worked with Hindusthan Aircraft in Bangalore. His first painting exhibition was in Chennai in 1945. He joined the Telugu children's magazine Chandamama in 1947, and later became editor of its Kannada version. He painted many covers for Chandamama.

Acharya was art director of the Kannada daily Tai nadu between 1963 and 1965. Later, he founded his own art school in Bangalore, the Acharya Chitrakala Bhavan, which provided lessons and training in painting through correspondence.^[1]An exhibition of paintings by the great artist of Karnataka, Sri M.T.V. Acharya, will be held on April 4, 2025, at the Indian Institute of World Culture art gallery, due to popular demand. This is a special event because his last exhibition at the same gallery was 58 years ago.

The name M.T.V. Acharya immediately brings to mind the mythological paintings he created, particularly those published in the popular illustrated monthly magazine Chandamama in the 1950s. His illustrations were so captivating that they helped make the magazine famous throughout India. After Raja Ravi Varma and S.M. Pandit, M.T.V. Acharya is a renowned name among Indian artists who specialized in mythological paintings.

Originally from Mysuru, M.T.V. Acharya developed an interest in art from a young age. He was a student of Y. Subramanyam Raju and Tankasale. Although his family was not supportive of his choice, he was determined to make a name for himself in the art world. He studied art at the Chamarajendra Technical Institute in Mysuru. In addition to painting, he was also skilled in yoga and writing.

He was a self-respecting person who did not want to depend on anyone. When he was unemployed, he would paint portraits and landscapes, and sometimes even mythological pictures to make a living. Some would pay him, while others would just praise him and send him away empty-handed. He realized the difficulties of being an artist in society and questioned whether it was worth pursuing art when there was no demand for it. His artistic and spiritual pursuits seemed pointless in the face of poverty. He even considered giving up art for a regular job.

During World War II in 1942, Acharya was offered a job as a photographer in the air force and was asked to report to Lahore. But his mother's tears, combined with the full responsibility of his family, prevented him from taking the job.

A few days later, his family moved to Bengaluru, where he found a job as a tracer at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) factory. Some officials at the factory found out he was an artist and wanted to see his work. They were so impressed with his paintings that they bought twenty of them for two hundred rupees. They praised him, saying he was as good as the great American artists, and gave him leave to travel around South India and paint. He never met the American people and never returned to his job. After leaving his job, he became a freelance artist and created many works that he was passionate about.

After his trip to South India, Acharya spent several months in Melukote, where he painted many nature scenes. At the request of some friends, he also decided to paint a picture of Tirunarayana. Photography was not allowed in the temple, so he observed the deity's adornments for a long time and then painted the picture using watercolors. A minister from the then-Mysore state took the painting, promising to get it printed, but it ended up in the house of the minister's personal secretary and eventually with the secretary of the government's judiciary department. When Acharya met him, the secretary promised to get a replica made so Acharya could have his original painting back. Impressed by Acharya's talent, the secretary offered to help him get a job. When Acharya, who was unemployed at the time, asked for a job, the secretary offered him a position in the police department.

The secretary then introduced Acharya to the renowned lawyer S.K. Iyengar. Iyengar asked him to design a greeting card for a relative's wedding. Impressed by the card, Iyengar invited Acharya to Madras, offering to help him find the recognition he deserved. He hosted Acharya in his home and arranged an exhibition of his paintings. M.T.V. Acharya himself stated that his was the first art exhibition by a Karnataka artist in Madras. Many of his works were sold, and the media praised him. News of his success even reached Karnataka, and the great artist Venkatappa expressed his joy.

With the money he earned, Acharya's passion for art grew. He bought quality papers, brushes, and colors, and created many popular paintings based on the traditional Mysore style. He believed that the subject matter was more important than the style itself. Over time, however, his style became so recognizable that people could identify his paintings at a glance.

In 1946, six of Acharya's paintings were selected for an exhibition at the Academy of Fine Arts in Calcutta. He traveled to Calcutta to see the exhibition and learn from other artists in Shantiniketan. In the same year, the Indian Institute of Fine Arts entrusted him with organizing a major art exhibition. He brought together the works of fifty artists from Karnataka and fifty from Tamil Nadu for the show.

In Madras, the famous film producer Nagi Reddi and writer Chakrapani were planning to launch the children's magazine Chandamama and were looking for an artist. Rumale Chennabasavaiah, an artist from Karnataka who knew Nagi Reddi, introduced Acharya to him. Impressed with his work, Nagi Reddi hired him as the artist for the magazine. Acharya was delighted because it allowed him to paint the mythological themes he had always wanted to, especially the Mahabharata series. People eagerly waited for his cover illustrations. Former IAS officer Chiranjeevi Singh says he grew up reading Chandamama. Acharya also served as the editor of the Kannada edition of Chandamama before taking voluntary retirement and returning to Karnataka.

Back in Karnataka, Acharya wrote art reviews for various publications and held exhibitions of his works from Madras in major cities. Many people became his students and asked him to teach art through distance education, as they could not leave their hometowns. As a result, he gained students throughout India and dedicated his life to teaching and creating art.

The article, written by Shivananda Basavantappa, concludes by stating that M.T.V. Acharya will turn 105 in 2025. To preserve Indian art, the author suggests people should view and appreciate the works of senior artists like Acharya.

Bibliography

• Chandamama Art Book, an anthology of artwork by Acharya and other Chandamama artists.