HYDERABAD: Art galleries in Hyderabad — which places immediately come to your mind? Madhapur? Jubilee Hills? Banjara Hills? Now, you can add a new name to the list — Narsingi. With its lighter traffic and fresher air, Narsingi now houses the recently launched Anantyam Qalaa Art Gallery, founded by sisters Jyotsna Kumar and Snigdha Reddy. This gallery aims to introduce fresh perspectives to the art scene in Hyderabad.
The name Anantyam means ‘infinite’, and Qalaa translates to ‘art’. “It can have multiple meanings — like infinite possibilities and the boundless potential of art,” explained Jyotsna.
Spread across 3,000 sqft, the gallery is thoughtfully located in the upscale Narsingi-Kokapet area. “This area is the future, and that future is not distant,” Jyotsna laughed. “Look around — this neighbourhood is affluent, cosmopolitan, and there’s a growing desire for everything classy, rare, and unique.”
The gallery itself reflects this ethos, with a spacious, well-lit interior and state-of-the-art audiovisual systems. These features cater not just to visual art but also to performing arts. “We didn’t want to limit ourselves. Imagine a folk art show where traditional music is performed live in the same space — that’s the kind of synergy we want to create,” Jyotsna shared.
Family equals team
Jyotsna, who is also a director at Google, has a deep connection to art. “The connection with art goes back two generations. My grandfather, Mahaveer Lal, was an artist. I saw him gain name and recognition, but not money,” she shared, adding, “I’ve seen incredible artists struggle for years. It was always my dream to do something meaningful in this space.”
Her journey with art began as a collector. “For years, I’ve been collecting art but I always knew that one day, I’d do more. This year, when my daughter left for university, I found myself with new energy and more time. I think it’s what they call the ‘empty nest syndrome.’ I had to channel it into something big, bold, and fulfilling — and this gallery was it,” she explained.
She didn’t take this step alone. “When I shared my vision with my family, they were all in. My husband, Abhijeet Kumar, and my brother-in-law, Sandeep Reddy, are both part of the team full-time. Abhijeet handles logistics and maintenance, while Sandeep looks after operations. It’s amazing to work with people you trust implicitly.
Trust is what takes years to build in most teams, but for us, it’s second nature,” she said, adding, “I say it often, I’m at best the brains behind it; the rest of the machinery is well-oiled & self-driven by my fantastic team.”
The gallery’s vision is to strike a balance between nurturing emerging talent and representing established artists. “I believe there is plenty of merit in finding a balance across genres and categories — there are more artists and more buyers than we can estimate.
We will be representing established, mid-career, and emerging artists; they are lined up for solo/group shows this year. That said, I think both Snigdha and I find incredible gratification in empowering and nurturing talent, so if we can handpick a few select artists and empower them to build thriving careers as artists, that would be our biggest win,” she said.
Art contest
To support this mission, they launched their flagship art contest, ‘Concours by Qalaa’, during the gallery’s inauguration. The event was graced by Dr Kota Neelima, a Congress leader, author, and artist, who spoke about the importance of such spaces. “Art allows us to stand apart in a world that often pushes for uniformity,” she said, adding, “Spaces like Anantyam Qalaa enable alternative voices and narratives to thrive. Telangana, with its rich tradition of revolutionary poetry and art, can greatly benefit from such venues.”
Over 100 artists from across India participated in the contest, which offered a cash prize of `1 lakh each to five winners, along with gallery collaborations. And the participation fee? Just Rs 1.
“Our 10-member jury included some amazing people from the art, corporate, and business worlds. The energy was electric,” she added.
The winning artworks, along with select entries, are on display until December 29.
Starting January 2025, the gallery will host monthly solo and group exhibitions. “We’re thrilled to kick off with a show featuring Dr Aasutosh Paanigrahi, an acclaimed mural artist and Guinness World Record holder,” Jyotsna revealed.