Thota Vaikuntam

Price: Price on Request

Thota Vaikuntum
Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions 12*16in
Year: 2015

  • SKU Code: THVA-008
  • Availability: In Stock

Thota Vaikuntam

Thota Vaikuntam was born in 1942 in Boorugupalli in the Karimnagar District. This area is in Telengana, the heartland of Andra Pradesh. He is famous for portraying Telangana women. His career lasted four decades. Many people see him as one of today’s most prominent figurative painters.

Vaikuntam spent most of his childhood in the rustic surroundings of Telangana. Vaikuntam learned to love the simple villagers. They were beautiful and innocent. He learned this in the rural cycle of life. His village is home to weavers and farmers. It will be his inspiration throughout his career. He received his education at Shatarajpalli. After a few years, he moved to the temple town of Vemulavada to continue his education. Though not a poor performer, he was never interested in his studies. He often set aside his books engrossed by the sound of temple music, rituals and festivities.

He did not begin to uncover his imagination’s depths until he went to Siricilla High School. His teacher, Ramacharaya, encouraged him. With this, he started making paper scenes and costumes. He made them for school, family, and village events. His fascination with art focused his dreams on a future as a musician, an actor, or a painter.

Despite pressure to join the family business, he managed to gain his mother’s blessing to train as an artist. He joined the College of Fine Arts and Architecture in Hyderabad in 1960. He determined to make a living through his art. What followed was a difficult period of instability and a long struggle for survival. Circumstances impoverished Vaikuntam, as they did most of his counterparts. He was unable to afford canvas or expensive paints. He had to stick to cheaper medium of charcoal, pencil, pen and ink. He used the reverse of bills.

His seniors discarded works on paper. Sometimes, they were even empty cigarette packets or newspapers. He depended on the generosity of his friends and took what odd jobs he could to keep himself going. His varied exposure and tenacity to earn his living through art would be valuable. They made his success later in life possible.

Andra Pradesh was reflecting a tumultuous period in his life. It was a time of unrest in the region from 1964 to 1969. This put a halt on his art studies. The college closed. There was hardly any work. So, he decided to return to his village to finish his matriculation. In interim, his parents found him a bride in 1966, Suguna. This was an unrequited union. It led to self-destructive pursuits in the 70s. He could not earn a living as an artist. His personal life was in turmoil. After ten long years, given the struggles and breaks, he received his diploma in painting in 1970.

Unable to make a headway as an artist, Thota Vaikuntam, taught art to children in Hyderabad Bal Bhavan for 15 years. It was during this time that he started black-and-white drawings on erotic theme. He then went on to draw nudes called the ‘Woman Series’. For two decades, he kept drawing and painting. But, he got little recognition and appreciation. In 1971, he got a fellowship from the Andra Pradesh Lalit Kala Akademi. It let him refine his painting skills. He also learned printmaking under the artist-scholar K.G. Subramanyan. Upon earning the diploma, Vaikuntam toyed with the idea of abstraction.

Thota Vaikuntam joined other like-minded artists. They included Suryaprakash, Brahmam, and Manmohan Dutt. They pondered what made the European masters different. The masters included Picasso, Cezanne, and Van Gogh. They were all trying to discover their creative identity. These sessions and K. Laxma Goud’s influence made him think about a new way of seeing and painting. “I realized that art was much more difficult than I had imagined. It made me realize how important it was to study ourselves, instead of always looking to the West. We have to take inspiration from our own surroundings. While people of the world are doing the copies of Picasso and Matisse, I have to look back to my village.”

In the early 1980s, Thota Vaikuntam nursed his ailing mother. He spent long stretches of time in Boorugupalli where he perfected his drawing. In an attempt to immortalize her, he spent most of his time drawing things associated with her. From these sketches, he made a series of charcoal drawings called ‘The Doors’. He also organized a solo exhibition. unknown, sale was mediocre. His mother died soon after. In the wake of her loss, a dark phase in his life began. It led to a serious illness and a time of introspection.

At a turning point in his life, he started following a more disciplined routine. His wife joined him to start a family not long after. he started to take an interest in the family and settled into family life. , between 1978 to 1985, he started to work on films. With the huge variety of themes and subjects, his art flourished. This was the most productive and eventful period of his life as an artist. While working on the film “Palleturi Pillagada” (Village Lad), he arrived at the concept. It was for his now famous women of Telangana.

Vaikuntam’s work is famous for its focus on women. His main inspiration is his devotion to his beloved mother, Satyamma. He called her his fountain of creativity. He also drew inspiration from strong women and mother figures. These sketches soon included priests, teachers, laborers, and farmers. He usually drew them in charcoal, pen, or ink with occasional watercolor.

“I’ve taken from my people in Telangana. I draw them. I take my colors from them. I’ve taken details from their everyday lives, stylized them and make them look grand. That’s my intention.” His work shows his love for rural life. It also shows his deep knowledge of his subjects. He wants to create a picture of an innocent world. ‘Civilized’ society has not touched or corrupted it. Like many of his peers, he has tried to find new inspiration in tradition and culture. He has managed to develop his own style as seen in his paintings of Telangana beauties.

People finally began to show interest. His first big break came when he added more color to his work. He focused on his now famous Telangana women. Accolades followed. He got an award for his paintings from Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal. Later, he won the national award for art direction for ‘Daasi’. He started receiving commissions and request from far and near for his work. Invitations for shows in Indian cities came first. Then came invitations from art centers around the world.

He began exhibiting his work. He is often called the man of vibrant spaces. He uses the main colors of the earth to depict the rural landscapes and the stories of the people of Telangana. Village life’s endless variety was his main theme. He also used the modern idea that distortion is part of his style. His rich palette and recognizable faces and figures have made his artwork acceptable. His paintings are modern. But, they have no loyalty to the usual parts of modernity.

After decades of evolution of his dusky icons, his quest to paint the perfect Telangana woman is still on. “As a man, I love a woman’s form and beauty, Hardworking and with a lot for physical energy. And their abiding innocence. For me art is important, intellectualizing their physical isn’t. I have never hidden the fact that I take from them. I take their lines and colors from their bright saris and decorative designs. I take their still features, heavy lips, and their very dark complexion. It is of great beauty. Without them, beauty would stop to exist. Their simple rusticity is appealing to me. But, it has taken my whole life of work, and I am still at it to get her perfect.”

After toiling years after years in obscurity, today he is famous. Thota Vaikuntam displays his art in India and abroad. He travels with his art shows. His paintings have become a status symbol. He lives in Hyderabad with his wife and three children.

Product Details`

Acrylic on canvas with Dimensions 12*16 in

Dimensions 12 × 16 in
Shipping

Unframed works ship in 7-10 business days. Framed works ship in 10-14 business days.

Scroll to top bool(false)