HYDERABAD: Vriksha, the art exhibition of the works of city-based artist Bhaskar Rao Botcha, displayed at the State Gallery of Art, Madhapur, is mystically evocative. The artworks draw their inspiration from nature and mainly feature trees, green landscapes with clear-blue skies, vast water bodies and rolling meadows — but mostly trees.
“Trees speak to us in a universal symbolic language,” Bhaskar Rao says. He comes from Salur, Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh, which is lush with meadowing trees. “Since childhood, I was interested in the aesthetics of nature, how branches intertwine, twist how leaves move when touched by the wind, and how trees make landscape alive,” says Bhaskar, an alumnus of the Department of Fine Arts, Hyderabad Central University.
The artworks are experiments that have brought about beautiful kaleidoscopes, with the tree juxtaposed with new elements. The works, as he says, are: “To reflect the memories and experiences I have collected from the places I have lived, touched, smelled, heard and walked through.”
Experimentation with figurative and street art eventually led him to natural landscapes; in turn, he developed an interest in trees — which were to become his dominant recurring theme and the core element of his works. “I often used to ask my mentor Kalal Laxma Goud during my early years in painting if I should continue with trees. He always said nobody would stop you from painting. Do whatever you want and don’t think about anything if the art comes from within.”
With this exhibition, Bhaskar attempts to anoint new styles and themes to the assortment; his works will present riveting components such as temple bells, cityscapes, snow-clad settings and many more, with the quintessential tree in the foreground. Bhaskar has many national and international exhibitions and art camps to his credit, the most popular being those held in Taiwan, and Saint Petersburg, Russia. His works will convey a message to the society about the importance of trees in our lives.