By appearance, Madathil Vasudevan (MV Devan) looks like a sage. And his contribution to the world and humanity elevates him to a much more higher realm than that.

Humanism is his hallmark. And one fine example for this is the contribution to the design of Trappistine Monastery in Kerala. He produced a simple and beautiful eight-sided chapel there. It was a balance between complementary opposites. Mountain and cave, light and dark, male and female and so forth.

Devan started painting at the early age of 10. It still continues. The love for this venerable art is in his genes. He inherited it from his father. After completing basic education, he left for Madras to learn painting. His interaction with the likes of DP Roy Choudhary and KCS Panikker helped him discover the nuances of this art.

After leaving Madras, he joined the vernacular daily, 'Mathrubhoomi'. He breathed life in to the characters of several novels and short stories published by this group, while working there as an illustrator.

Though he started out as a painter, his interests were not confined to this stream of art alone. He explored other areas and left his imprints in areas like Sculpting, Philosophy, Oratory, Art and Culture. He became more involved with Sculptures while working in FACT. And, for the past twenty years, he has been making figurines. Interestingly, Devan does not have any sort of training in this art form.

His unquestioned love for all kinds of art forms prompted him to establish an institution to propagate it and to bring it under a single umbrella. And this sort of experiment was done at Kerala Kalapeedom at Ernakulam. Later, it was enacted in a much more grand style at Malayala Kalagramom. It is a sort of learning centre for literature, music, dance, painting, sculpture, vastukala, and for all other forms of art.

And for the past several years, he has divided his time between Kerala and Tamil Nadu applying his experience for the betterment of the new and upcoming artists. Tamil Nadu had its State Lalit Kala Akademi started in 54-55 with Devan as the first secretary,

Though very much interested in Literature, he refrained from making any attempt on short stories and poetry. But, he actively promoted literary publications like 'Navasahiti', 'Gopuram', and 'Sameeksha'.

Similarly, he is an art critic of repute and had critically evaluated several works as well as the art scenario of Kerala through his many columns and speeches without resorting to verbal jugglery. All these observations and critical evaluations were later coded and published in a book by Dr PV Krishnan Nair. Devan's clarity of thought and his philosophy of life is beautifully presented in this book.

The artist currently functions as the Chairman of Kerala Kalapeetom. Under him, Kalapeetom had passed through the realms of hell with many trials and tribulations to reach the present state of glory, that it has achieved now.

Painting forms an essential ingredient of his life. He does not view it isolated from the mainstream life. Had he concentrated more on painting, the art world in Kerala would have been different. Nevertheless, he left his indelible imprints in all the areas he touched.