Painting a brighter future for art enthusiasts from poor families

This art teacher working at the Andhra Pradesh Dr BR Ambedkar Gurukalam at Veligonda is on a mission to train budding painters free of cost.
Art teacher Kommu Prasad Rao with his students | Express
Art teacher Kommu Prasad Rao with his students | Express

ONGOLE: This art teacher working at the Andhra Pradesh Dr BR Ambedkar Gurukalam at Veligonda is on a mission to train budding painters free of cost. In his 29 years of service, Kommu Prasada Rao has provided free coaching to hundreds of students. Many of them have received accolades for their performance. Some of them have become art teachers in various government and private educational institutions.

Prasada Rao belongs to a middle class family of Kakarla village in Marripudi mandal of Prakasam district. After completing Intermediate, he got inspired by his drawing teacher and famous artists like Raja Ravi Varma, Vaddadi Papaiah, Damerla RamaRao and several others.

Later, he joined Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University-Hyderabad by securing the 10th rank in the entrance exam. During his university days, Prasada Rao participated in several art exhibitions. His work received appreciation from art lovers.

In 1993, Prasada Rao was appointed as art teacher in AP Social welfare Gurukula at Tsundur in Guntur district in 1993.Since then, he has trained a number of students in drawing and sculpture fields. His students have received appreciations and medals in various national, state and district -level drawing competitions.“I am aware that students from poor families are not in a position to spend money to learn fine arts. So, I took a decision to give free training classes for all enthusiastic students,” Prasada Rao told TNIE Prasada Rao was honoured with the State Best Teacher award and received medal, certificate and was felicitated by former minister Kanna Lakshmi Narayana in 2013. In 2014, he received the Kadapa Fine Arts Academy- Fine Arts Award. Later, in 2014, Prasada Rao got selected for the Bapu Award presented by the Dream Young and Children’s Academy- Vijayawada.

The arts teacher got appreciation and felicitations from Prakasam Collector for designing the AP Social Welfare department’s tableau displayed on the occasion of the Independence Day celebrations in 2019 held at the Ongole Police Parade Ground.

“I want to train my students as nature-friendly, peace-loving and kind-hearted persons. My students work hard on creating message-oriented drawings on environment protection, human rights, education, cleanliness and Swachh Bharat, wildlife conservation, global warming and natural farming,”he added.

Recently, his students — K Pawan Kalyan and J Isaac, who are in class 7 — bagged gold medals at the Union Water Resources Ministry’s drawing competition and won `2,000 prize money. “My students, Karunakar, Pawan Kalyan, Narasimha Rao, George Rao and Veerendra, have won five gold and two silver medals in the ‘Dream Young and Children’s Academy national-level drawing competitions,” Prasada Rao beamed.

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