A self-taught artist, Bali embraces a host of genres though his mainstay has been illustrations for stories and serials in newspapers and weekly and children’s magazines.
At a two-day exhibition “Bali Bommala Koluvu” at the Visakhapatnam Public Library that opened on Tuesday, a wide variety of his works on display enables viewers to enjoy the deft strokes of his brush in various media. Besides it introduces visitors, particularly the younger generation, to some literary classics that have enthralled generations.
Nativity gets the pride of place as in his work on famous lovers along with Salim and Anarkali and Bhagmati and Quli Qutub Shah, Yenki and Naidu Bava capture the attention.
Some paintings are on saint-composer Annamacharya’s sensuous lyrics. “Noted musician Balantrapu Rajanikanta Rao asked me to do them and I got the gist of some kirtanas explained to me and later worked on them,” he recalls with nostalgia his association with the great musicologist. During his 50-year career, Bali mostly worked to meet deadlines with famous editors like Nanduri Ramamohana Rao and Puranam Subrahmanya Sarma. “Yes. I used to read a number of stories and serials to give an appropriate illustration. But a good story drives the artist to get the essence,” he comments recalling a recent illustration for story of Yendamuri Satya Kamalendranath, a doctor from Kakinada, on the plight of farmers.
Exploring different styles, on display are the Lepakshi, Rajasthani and Gujarati styles on the same theme, “the friendship of Rama and Sugriva.”
Sitting with the artist over 200 works have been meticuluously selected for the show, says Sankar Nilu Bhagavathula, Director of Surya Academy of Arts orgainising the two-day exhibition.
With over 12000 cartoons and lakhs of illustrations, the 17-year-old Medisetty Sankara Rao from Anakapalle who started with hardly any formal training has come a long way.
Inaugurating the show on Tuesday, president of The Olympic Association T.S.R. Prasad said to create interest in art and illustrations among children the show should be taken to schools. Director of Sri Prakash Vidya Niketan Ch. Vasuprakash was all praise for the works on the Ramayana and other mythological themes.
VJF president Gantla Srinubabu spoke.
