At the India Art Fair (IAF) 2019 held in New Delhi in January, among the many things that drew attention were 99 art works of Thota Vaikuntam, presented by Kalakriti art gallery. The spectrum of exhibits at the IAF Kalakriti booth showcased charcoal drawings, paintings (still-life, abstracts, and portraiture) and sculptures by Vaikuntam circa 1981 to 86. Some of these works have never been showcased in Hyderabad, until now.
A sculpture by Thota Vaikuntam
At the request of the artist, the gallery is showcasing these exhibits in the city. “The exhibits are unique and were well received at the art fair. We will be displaying his sculptures cast at the Bronze Age Sculpture Casting Foundry, London. These have never been displayed in Hyderabad,” says Rekha Lahoti of Kalakriti. Though some of the 99 works were sold at IAF, the gallery convinced buyers to allow them to display the art works in Hyderabad.
The mention of Thota Vaikuntam conjure up images of men and women from rural Telangana, dressed in bright-hued clothes, along with traditional instruments, utility items, and jewellery that’s characteristic of the region. However, before the master artist was widely hailed for these iconic images in deep colours, there was the early formative phase when his charcoal drawings were in monotones of sombre browns.
A charcoal drawing by Thota Vaikuntam
Growing up in Burugupalli, a village known for folk arts and weaving, Thota Vaikuntam began drawing by observing all that was unfolding around him. He drew mythological characters portrayed by folk artists, like Bheema and Anjaneya, and was later influenced by calendar art and cinema posters of yore that had large portraiture of actors. Once he began to study art in Hyderabad and later in Baroda, Vaikuntam explored a gamut of styles and techniques.
A charcoal drawing by Thota Vaikuntam
In the book Bhaavanaatharangam - a retrospective published by India Fine Art, Thota Vaikuntam is interviewed by his daughter Sowbhagya and by fellow master artist Surya Prakash in which he dwells on his early years as an artist. He states that 1979 proved to be a turning point when he travelled to his native village to attend to his ailing mother. He made sketches of people in the village and internalised a statement he had heard from the fraternity that art stems from an artist’s roots. The few years saw him focus more deeply on rural folk and lifestyles, using primary colours of red, green, blue and browns. He emphasises how he used colours worn by people than go by the diktats of an artist’s colour palette. Turmeric yellows and the large vermilion on the forehead also become his signature style.
The heavy distortions, including the heart-shaped faces, made an appearance in his early drawings.
‘Thota Vaikuntam – exclusive drawings, charcoal and sculptures – circa 1981-86’ will be on view at Kalakriti art gallery, Banjara Hills, till February 24.
