HYDERABAD : As much as an iconic artist can be defined by his artworks and body of research, Dr Kondapalli Seshagiri Rao is equally remembered for his polite, deep-thinking persona. When asked how his father was as a person, Rao’s son Venugopal replied, “Totally devoted to his paintings and driven by the philosophy of reaching the maximum heights of your work.”
A professor at the College of Fine Arts and Architecture, JNTU, Venugopal says his father would spend most of his time painting, meditating or reading mythologies like Ramayana and Mahabharata. “His students fondly remembered him as a great teacher. He would often sit in a corner, painting and sipping tea, at times accompanied by fellow artists and writers,” he said.
Introducing the artist in their book, ‘An Odyssey of Life and Art: Dr Kondapalli Seshagiri Rao’, Anand Gadapa and Nirmala Biluka write: “He was a celebrated artist who played a significant role in the cultural revival of indigenous traditions.” An alumnus of Central School of Art and Crafts, Hyderabad and Santiniketan in West Bengal, Rao was inspired by sculptures in the Kakatiya temples of Warangal and scroll paintings of Cheriyal.
The authors point out that he lived through Hyderabad’s peasant uprisings, and pre-Independence movements driven by Communists as well as Congress, such as “...anti-Nizam Telangana movements and Vishalandhra movement”, and his cultural consciousness was shaped accordingly. “To fully appreciate and situate Rao’s artistic evolution, one must consider the tensions of that period and the socio-political environment in which the painter lived,” they write.
While they perceive his initial artwork as a “responsive engagement” with the cultural and political developments of his time, they also see a turn towards naturalism by the late 90s. He adopted techniques like Chinese wash, aqua-abstract style, murals and designs from ancient sculptures, and proved himself to be an ally of both past and contemporary times.
Rao was born on January 27, 1924, to Rama Chudamma and Gopal Rao Deshmukh in Penugonda village, Mahabubabad. Facing financial struggles, he managed to finish his schooling through scholarships. With the support from political leaders like Pendyalaya Raghava Rao and Gundavaram Hanumantha Rao; and journalist Vattikota Alwar Swamy, he finally met his first patron of art, Nawab Mehdi Nawaz Jung. Impressed by Rao’s artworks, the scholar and philanthropist helped him get a seat in the Central School of Arts and Crafts in Hyderabad to pursue a five-year diploma in art. He even provided him with shelter in his mansion until he got a seat in the Reddy hostel.
Many distinguished artists shaped his world-view here — dignitaries like Khan Bahadur Syed Ahmed, Syed Masood Ahmed, Muhammad Jalaluddin and Sukumar Deuskar — honing his skills in traditional as well as European forms of painting.
Rao’s dream came true when Mehdi Nawaz Jung’s affinity with Rabindranath Tagore got him an opportunity to study at Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan and his tutelage under Jalaluddin helped him develop a strong bond with renowned artist Nandalal Bose there.
His stay at Santiniketan added another layer of excellence to his skill, adding more natural expressions to his realistic depictions of the world. He then got an opportunity to meet another great artist — Devi Prasad Roy Chowdhury — who happened to influence many Telugu artists. In their short meeting, Chowdhury made an instant portrait of Rao which has been delicately preserved by Rao’s family.
As he expanded his body of work influenced by many legendary artists, Rao also stumbled upon the painted dolls in Cheriyal village of Warangal made by the Nakashi family. He immersed himself in the research of such old art forms and aimed to revive them, like Kakipadagalu scroll paintings.
As an art historian and researcher, he wrote essays and even delivered lectures on art history on All India Radio during the 70s. Before that, two tableaux designed by him, depicting the life and culture of Telugu states, were showcased in the Republic Day Parades of the years 1961 and 1969, which allowed him to meet respective Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi in those years. “He was also deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas. While being in Nagpur, he got the news of Gandhi visiting the Wardha ashram. He and his fellows rushed to meet Bapu and after that meeting, he was transformed,” said Venugopal.
His paintings and murals represent the times he lived through. They are also heavily dominated by mythological and historical figures. His depiction of women like Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi and Kakatiya queen Rudrama Devi holds a significant mark on the viewers.
A lot of his paintings are displayed at Venugopal’s residence in LB Nagar. He believes the contribution made by his father in shaping the art of Hyderabad has been under-recognised. “Maintenance of paintings indeed requires a lot of care and hard work but the contribution of artists like my father is too immense to be ignored,” he concluded.