Seventy-five years on, Hyderabad’s Salar Jung Museum continues to prioritise reflection over spectacle. Its latest exhibition, Varna Mythri, curated by KS Srinivasa Murthy, brings Late Rumale Chennabasaviah’s work to the city for the first time, showcasing an artist defined by patience, observation, and a meditative approach. He was known for his art of capturing the beauty of nature through his water colour paintings. Meaning ‘harmony of colours’, the exhibition on showcase till May 25, presents nearly 80 works that trace this lifelong vision. Painting en plein air, he used the outdoors as his studio, repeatedly returning to the same spots to capture blooming trees, shifting light, and the city’s evolving rhythms.
Curating a life in full
For curator Srinivasa Murthy, the retrospective begins not with categorisation, but with attention. “The answer is to ‘listen’ to the artist, his works,” he says, emphasising that Chennabasaviah’s paintings communicate through colour, motif, and an intuitive visual language that resists easy classification. Srinivasa was drawn to the artist not just for his imagery, but for his philosophy. “The very act of painting appears to be a means towards many other ideals such as his love and respect for heritage — natural and cultural, apart from meditative practices. His approach to painting as a means of cultivating one’s mind and heart also makes him distinct,” he notes. Selecting 80 works from nearly 600 was less about narrowing down and more about representing a continuum. “Each of his work is quite representative of his view of nature, art and life,” Murthy explains, pointing to the consistency of vision that defines Chennabasaviah’s practice. Even as a self-taught artist who began painting later in life, he focused on refinement rather than reinvention: “The artist constantly refines his method, making room for both rigorous design and dynamic image. The means are as important as the ends for him. Rumale is a pioneer in what is popularly known as ‘urban sketching’. He intersperses motifs of flowers with civic and residential buildings, drawing attention to subtleties we miss in our restless lifestyle.” The exhibition also includes archival material and personal memorabilia, offering deeper insight into the artist’s life beyond the canvas. “Without looking into such details, we will be able to appreciate only the surface of his art,” Srinivasa points out, referencing Rumale’s meticulous practice and his decision to step away from art to participate in the freedom struggle. Even the artist’s habit of returning to the same locations reveals a disciplined relationship with time and place. “He returned every day to make sure of a stable condition of light,” Srinivasa says, underscoring a practice rooted in patience rather than variation.
Beyond displaying objects
For Priyanka Mary Francis, director of the Salar Jung Museum, Varna Mythri reflects a broader institutional shift. “We are moving towards exhibitions that go beyond just displaying objects, they tell layered stories,” she says, adding, “We want to bring together art, history, and lived experience in ways that feel meaningful and relevant.” Central to this exhibition is the decision to present Rumale as more than an artist. “With someone like him, you can’t separate art from life. Presenting him as a whole person helps audiences connect more meaningfully,” she explains. As Hyderabad encounters his work for the first time, the museum is hoping for a response that is both emotional and exploratory. “We are hoping for a sense of discovery… we want it to feel both new and personal,” she says, adding that the ideal takeaway is curiosity and introspection. Curating an artist who resists neat categorisation also opens up new possibilities. “You cannot rely on familiar categories… but that is also the exciting part, it allows new ways of understanding art,” she reflects. Ultimately, exhibitions like Varna Mythri expand what a museum can offer. “It is not just about viewing art but also about pausing, reflecting, and maybe even looking inward,” she concludes, pointing to a future where museums become spaces not just of display, but of experience.