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.

List of works

 * 1) Saint Mary's Co-Cathedral – George Town, Madras City
 * 2) Saint Mary's School – Madras City
 * 3) Don Bosco Shrine – Madras City
 * 4) Don Bosco School – Perambur, Madras City
 * 5) Don Bosco School Chapel – Egmore, Madras City
 * 6) Diocesan Pastoral Centre – Mylapore, Madras City
 * 7) Kings Fort Convent – Salesian Sisters – Kilpauk, Madras
 * 8) Saint Anne's Generalate Chapel – Madhavaram
 * 9) Saint Anne's Novitiate – Madras City
 * 10) Saint Anne's Chapel – Madras City
 * 11) Saint Anne's Mother House – Madras City
 * 12) Pope John's Garden Chapel – Madras
 * 13) Beatitudes Prayer Room – Madras City
 * 14) Salesian Institute of Graphic Arts – Madras City
 * 15) Parish Church – Meenambakkam
 * 16) Franciscan Sisters' Chapel – Poonamalee, Madras
 * 17) St. Joseph's Technical Institute Basin Bridge – Madras
 * 18) Don Bosco Youth Centre Basin Bridge – Madras
 * 19) Our Lady's Church – Madras
 * 20) Lakshmi Theatre – Pallavaram, Madras
 * 21) Jyothi Theatre St. Thomas Mount – Madras
 * 22) Hotel Palm Grouve – Madras
 * 23) Hotel Gokulam – Madras City
 * 24) Central Health Centre – Madras
 * 25) Franciscan Friary
 * 26) Salesian Provincial House. Madras
 * 27) Parish Church, Porur
 * 28) Bon Succour Convent Chapel. Mylapore
 * 29) Bon Succour Convent Chapel, Pallavaram
 * 30) Fatima Church. Madras
 * 31) Sacred Heart Seminary, Poonamalley
 * 32) Golden Jubilee Facade Madras
 * 33) Sacred Heart Seminary Chapel, Madras
 * 34) St. Isabella Hospital Chapel, Mylapore
 * 35) Stella Matutina College, Ashok Nagar, Madras
 * 36) Parish Church, Mahalakshmi Nagar, Madras
 * 37) St. Joseph's Church, Chengalpet – Tamil Nadu
 * 38) Leena Theatre, Chidambaram – Tamil Nadu
 * 39) Sahayamatha Hospital – Trichy
 * 40) Rosarian Ashram, Manapara, Trichy
 * 41) Sacred Heart Brothers Chapel, Trichy
 * 42) St. Joseph's Church – Jnanolipuram, Madurai
 * 43) Parish Church, Red Hill
 * 44) Don Bosco, K. Pudur, Madurai
 * 45) Don Bosco School Chapel – Varandarajanpet, Tamil Nadu
 * 46) Salesian Aspirantate – Tanjore, Tamil Nadu
 * 47) R.C. Church, Tiruvannamalai
 * 48) Don Bosco Church – Gandhi Nagar, Vellore
 * 49) Hotel Ranga – Vellore, Tamil Nadu
 * 50) St. Joseph Katpadi – Tamil Nadu
 * 51) Snehadeepam, Vellore,
 * 52) Parish Church, Madurapakkam, Tamil Nadu
 * 53) Don Bosco, Chengalpattu (Chingleput), Tamil Nadu
 * 54) Our Lady of Good Voyage, Cheyur, Tamil Nadu
 * 55) Don Bosco, Chingalpet, Tamil Nadu
 * 56) Parish Church, Adilakshmi Nagar, Tamil Nadu
 * 57) S.H. Church, Arakonam
 * 58) Mount Don Bosco, Kotagiri, Nilgiri
 * 59) Don Bosco School Chapel – Pannur, Tamil Nadu
 * 60) Don Bosco Chapel – Tiruppattur, Tamil Nadu
 * 61) St. Charles Sisters Chapel – Tirrupattur, Tamil Nadu
 * 62) Hotel Gokulam – Salem, Tamil Nadu
 * 63) Sacred Heart College Shrine – Tirrupattur, Tamil Nadu
 * 64) Cathedral – Salem
 * 65) The Retreat, Salesian College – Yercaud, Tamil Nadu
 * 66) The Retreat Auditorium – Yercaud
 * 67) Sakti Sugars, Administrative Building – Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
 * 68) Hotel Shona – Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
 * 69) Salesian Novitiate – Kottagiri, Tamil Nadu
 * 70) Saint Michael's Church – Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
 * 71) Prayer Hall, Don Bosco – Guntur
 * 72) Holy Cross Convent Chapel – Guntur
 * 73) Auxilium Salesian Sisters Chapel – Guntur
 * 74) The Risen Lord Church – Dhubadu, Andhra Pradesh
 * 75) Nirmala Nikethan – Regional Superior House Chapel, Vijayawada
 * 76) Saint Anne's Generalate Chapel – Vijayawada
 * 77) Urvasi Theatre – Vijayawada
 * 78) Don Bosco Mission – Convent Chapel – Ravulapalem, Andhra Pradesh
 * 79) Don Bosco – Ravulapalem
 * 80) Airport Terminal – Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
 * 81) Raja Picture Palace – Vaisag, Andhra Pradesh
 * 82) Saint Antony's Church – Cuddapah, Andhra Pradesh
 * 83) Saint Teresa's Church – Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
 * 84) Santhi Nilayam – Hyderabad
 * 85) Saint Anne's Convent Chapel – Hyderabad
 * 86) Salesian Philosophate – Kondadaba, A.P.
 * 87) St. Peter's Cathedral – Gnanapuram
 * 88) Infant Jesus Church – Seefham Dhara. Vaisakh
 * 89) Carmelites Cloistered, Dakshinagiri
 * 90) Nalgonda Cathedral – Andhra Pradesh
 * 91) St. Teresa's Convent Chapel – Hyderabad
 * 92) Salesian Provincialate – Hyderabad
 * 93) Don Bosco School Chapel – Hyderabad
 * 94) St. Anne's Chapel – Hyderabad'
 * 95) Parish Church – Secunderabad
 * 96) St Anne's of Loressame – Regional House, Vijayawada
 * 97) Don Bosco – Vijayawada
 * 98) Pallottine House Chapel – Vijayawada
 * 99) Assumption Church – Vijayawada
 * 100) Don Bosco Provincial House – Mangalagiri
 * 101) St. Michael Orphanage Chapel – Cumur
 * 102) Don Bosco, – Warangal
 * 103) Salesian Sisters Chapel, Gumlur
 * 104) Jmj Provincialate – Gumlur
 * 105) St. Antony's Church – Gumlur
 * 106) St. Joseph's College – Gumlur
 * 107) Jmj College Chapel – Ternali
 * 108) St. Anne's Generalate – Gumlur
 * 109) St. Anne's School – Gumlur
 * 110) St. Anne's Convent – Gumlur
 * 111) Parish Church – Narasimharaopel
 * 112) St Charles' Sisters – A.P
 * 113) Don Bosco House – Ponnur. A.P.
 * 114) The Bishop House – A.P.
 * 115) Salesian College – Karunapuram, Warangal
 * 116) Don Bosco Youth Centre Chapel – Pune, Maharashtra
 * 117) Don Bosco Aspirantate Chapel – Lonavla, Maharashtra
 * 118) Dominic Savio's Chapel – andheri, Bombay
 * 119) Saint Joseph's Chapel – Kurla, Bombay
 * 120) Don Bosco – Nasik, Novitate
 * 121) The Risen Lord Chapel, Salesian Novitiate – Nasik, Maharashtra
 * 122) Palloiti Bhavan, Regional Superior House Chapel – Nagpur
 * 123) Bharathmata Ashram – Kurukshetra, Haryana
 * 124) Don Bosco – Pune
 * 125) Tabor Ashram – Kalyan, Maharashtra
 * 126) Pallotti Bhavan Seminary Hills – Nagpur
 * 127) Cmi House – Pune
 * 128) Kohima Cathedral, Nagaland
 * 129) Pune Cathedral, Pune
 * 130) Csst Generalate, Bangalore
 * 131) St. Anne's Provincial House, Bangalore
 * 132) Capuchin Provincial House, Bangalore
 * 133) Jmj Provincial House, Bangalore
 * 134) Dharmaram College – Bangalore. Karnataka
 * 135) Don Bosco Salesian Provincial House Bangalore
 * 136) St. Anne's Novitiate – Krishnarajapuram, Bangalore
 * 137) Salesian Sisters Novitiate – Avalahalli, Bangalore
 * 138) Saint Joseph The Leon's Novitiate, Bangalore
 * 139) Saint Joseph's Cathedral – Chikmagalur, Karnataka
 * 140) Saint Antony's Cathedral – Bellary, Karnataka
 * 141) Suvidya College Msfs, bangalore
 * 142) St. Francis De Sules Church, Bangalore
 * 143) St. John Medical College, Bangalore
 * 144) Adoration Sisters of Holy Spirit, Carmelaram
 * 145) A V P Carmelaram
 * 146) Carmel Theological Centre, Carmelaram
 * 147) Christ King School, Bangalore
 * 148) St. Casper Bhavan, Dharmaram, Bangalore
 * 149) Dharmaram Faculty of Theology, Bangalore
 * 150) Yuvaprajothiny, Bangalore
 * 151) Holy Cross Fathers Novitiate, Bangalore
 * 152) Pavithratma, Study Centre, Holy Spirit Sisters, Bangalore
 * 153) Pious Disciples of Divine Mater, St. Mark Rd. Bangalore
 * 154) Viswadeep, Catechetical Centre, Bangalore
 * 155) Salesian Sisters Novitiate, Bangalore
 * 156) Christu Jyothi, Bangalore
 * 157) Batram Fathers, Bangalore
 * 158) Teresian Carmelites Ctc, Bangalore
 * 159) Prima Mandira Canossian Sisters Provincialate, Bangalore
 * 160) Capuchin Provincialate, Rajajl Nagar
 * 161) White Missionaries, Vimalalaya, Bangalore
 * 162) Vimalahridaya, Bhairalhi, Bangalore
 * 163) St. Norbert Bhavan, Bangalore'
 * 164) St. Vincent Pallotti Shrine, Bangalore
 * 165) Sacred Heart Brothers, Bangalore
 * 166) Icm Sisters. Bangalore
 * 167) St. Mary's School, Frosu Town
 * 168) JMG Oldage Home, Bangalore
 * 169) Sannidhi, MSFS Novitiate, Mysore
 * 170) Angaly Ashram, Chamundi Hill, Mysore
 * 171) Don Bosco, Sreeramapuram, Mysore
 * 172) Old Priest House, gonikoppa, Koorg
 * 173) Dominican Sisters Novitiate, Pakshikari, Mangalore
 * 174) Dominican Fathers Chapel, Mangalore
 * 175) Shrine of Infant Jesus, Mangalore
 * 176) Capuchin Provincialate. Kochi
 * 177) Punalur Cathedral, Kerala
 * 178) Don Bosco Bhavan Chapel – Trichur, Kerala
 * 179) Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, Don Bosco School – Irinjalakuda, Kerala
 * 180) Christ College Church – Irinjalakuda
 * 181) St. George Church – Kalady, Kerala
 * 182) Presentation Convent Chapel – Perinthalmanna, Malabar, Kerala
 * 183) Menaka Theatre – Ernakulam, Kerala
 * 184) Sree Padmanabha Theatre – Trivandrum, Kerala
 * 185) Sree Kumar Theatre – Trivandrum, Kerala
 * 186) Don Bosco Aspirate, Mannuthy
 * 187) Mount Don Bosco, Padivayal, Wayanad
 * 188) Grace and Compassion Sisters, Makiyad
 * 189) Benedictine Fathers, Makiyad, Wayanad
 * 190) Carmelite Spirituality Centre, Peravoor, Calicut
 * 191) Diocesan Pastoral Centre, Mananthavady, Kerala
 * 192) Don Bosco School Irinjalakuda
 * 193) Parish Church Karukuty
 * 194) Nazareth Sisters Motherhouse Karukutty
 * 195) Parish Church, Kalady
 * 196) Don Bosco, Keezhmad, Alwaye
 * 197) St. Joseph Parish, Alwaye
 * 198) Marello House, Alwaye
 * 199) Sacred Heart Fathers, Alwaye
 * 200) Ashir Bhavan, Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre, Ernakulam
 * 201) Sacred Heart Sisters, Varapuzha
 * 202) Lourd Hospital, Cochin
 * 203) Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish Church, Vypeen
 * 204) Orthodox St. George Church. Puthuppally, Kotayam
 * 205) Old Priest Home, Kollam
 * 206) St. Stephen's Church, Thoppe, Kollam
 * 207) Novitiate Chapel of Novitiate House, Oblates of St. Joseph, Kulathurpuzha
 * 208) Viswa Jyothi – Gurukul Chapel – Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
 * 209) Matredham Ashram – Varanasi
 * 210) St. Joseph Gurukul Major Seminary Chapel – Varanasi
 * 211) Ims Generalate Chapel – Varanasi
 * 212) Infant Jesus Church – Mughal Sarai, U.P.
 * 213) Ims Novitiate – Sardhana, Up
 * 214) Vidhya Bhavan, Chapel – Kalyani, Calcutta
 * 215) Don Bosco Catechetical Centre, Calcutta
 * 216) Don Bosco, Calcutta
 * 217) Good Shepherd Seminary Chapel – Dimapur, Nagaland
 * 218) Don Bosco School Chapel – Tamenglong, Manipur
 * 219) Don Bosco School Chapel – Delhi
 * 220) Don Bosco, Baroda – Gujarat
 * 221) Baroda Cathedral – Baroda
 * 222) Rajkot Cathedral – Gujarat
 * 223) Casa Pallotti, Panaji, Goa
 * 224) Franciscan Missionary Sisters, Goa
 * 225) Stella Maris Cathedral, Port Blair, andamans
 * 226) Don Bosco, Colombo, Sri Lanka
 * 227) Parish Church, Apia, Western Samoa
 * 228) Parish Church, Pago Pago, American Samoa
 * 229) Bharath Matha Ashram, Kurukshetra – Haryana
 * 230) Redemptorist Church, Ambala, Haryana