As we stepped through a small green door — one that oddly resembled an auto-rickshaw’s door — we assumed it was just misplaced. But oh, how wrong we were! Every step beyond that door transported us straight into Hyderabad’s auto-rickshaw culture — blaring chatal band, DJ beats, disco lights — it felt like a never-ending auto ride! But this wasn’t a street corner; it was Chitramayee State Gallery of Art, hosting K Rajesh Naik’s solo exhibition, Naik City, organised by Ek Chitra.
Inside, the walls exploded with auto-rickshaw aesthetics in vibrant colours and unconventional materials. It was as if Rajesh had stitched his entire world onto the canvas — raw, unapologetic, and bursting with energy, much like Hyderabad’s bustling streets. Curated by Annapurna Madipadiga, the exhibition wasn’t just about autos; it was about the pulse of the city — the energy, speed, and chaos of Hyderabad’s roads. Each piece reflected Rajesh’s unfiltered experiences.
“Born into the Lambada tribe, Rajesh unconsciously absorbed artistic influences from his mother’s intricate embroidery and the bold Lambada colour palette. But what truly set him apart was his refusal to shy away from his roots — his family’s history, his time as an auto driver, and the countless stories he collected on the road,” informed the curator.
“I chose autos as my theme because they are a part of me — my dad drives one, and so did I. That connection naturally shaped my art,” Rajesh shared. His artistic journey began at Sanskriti, a non-profit school in Attapur run by senior artist BA Reddy and his daughter Padma Reddy. Free Sunday art classes there helped many underprivileged students, including Rajesh, find their creative voice. With their support, he secured a free seat at SV Fine Arts College and went on to pursue a Master’s degree in printmaking at Potti Sree Ramulu Telugu University, which he is set to complete soon. Along the way, he won the State Art Gallery Award, earning him this prestigious solo exhibition.
Speaking about the show, Miheeka Daggubati said, “I think it’s exceptional. What we don’t realise is that creative people and artists are not limited in any way. They thrive and find a way to flourish, no matter where they are. It’s amazing to see someone like Rajesh blossom and share his art with the world. It’s truly beautiful how he’s merged his life and art to create something spectacular. Art is, after all, an extension of one’s personality into an interior space.”
But Rajesh’s connection to autos runs deeper than art — he started driving them at a young age, even before finishing school, Annapurna revealed. Illegal? Maybe. But in Hyderabad, sab chalta hai! Those late-night drives, the people he met, the stories he heard — all of it seeped into his artistic voice. “His work has strong pop influences — but not the Western kind. Rajesh has created a new, hyper-local pop culture inspired by Hyderabad’s streets,” Annapurna explained.
His materials are as unconventional as his subjects — he works with rexene, the same material used for auto-rickshaw seats, combining it with metals and etchings to create raw, layered depth. Asked about his choice of materials, Rajesh explained, “I started with canvas, but it lacked the depth I wanted. No matter how much I worked, something was missing — it was colourful but didn’t have the shine or layers I expected. That’s when I turned to mixed mediums — rexene, metal, and printmaking. Unlike smooth painting techniques, printmaking is unpredictable, textured, and intense. That challenge excites me!”
A die-hard Rajinikanth fan, Rajesh brings the same larger-than-life energy into his art. Encouraged by mentors like BA Reddy, Padma Reddy, Rajeshwar Rao, and Laxma Goud, he never followed rigid art traditions. Instead, he forged his own path — not just capturing Hyderabad’s auto culture but making people feel it.