"My art is my village," says Thota Vaikuntam. Born to an impoverished family in Burugupalli of Karimnagar district in undivided Andhra Pradesh, his life is now rooted in the soil of Telangana and his art celebrates the same.
Large red bindis on turmeric-sandalwood-smeared foreheads, bold, colourful saris against dark skin, ornate nosepins—these are some of the things that define his oeuvre. Vaikuntam pays tribute to this vibrant palette by his own use of exclusively bright rich primary colours such as red, orange and saffron, which he terms as “Indian colours”.
The legend admits to have taken from the people of Telangana, especially the colours. “I’ve borrowed from everyday lives,” he says. Vaikuntam began his journey with charcoal drawings that portrayed the village life. As his art evolved, so did his use of various mediums, till it arrived at his signature primary colours. He shuns the use of composite colours as he feels they are not natural, since they do not exist in nature. Often criticised for being repetitive, the Padma Shri-awardee says, “At this age, I can’t find a new muse. Remember, a Picasso or a Matisse painted, in the same manner, all their life.” Often called the ‘Jamini Roy of the South’, Vaikuntam by his own admission initially tried to copy the European masters, before being courageous enough to reject them and find his own voice.
After he joined the College of Fine Arts and Architecture in Hyderabad in 1960, Vaikuntam was determined to make a living through his art. But the periods of instability were daunting. He was often unable to afford canvas or expensive paints and had to resort to cheaper mediums. While looking after his ailing mother in his village and introspecting on his art, he spent his free time drawing and painting what he saw around him—the strong-torsoed Telangana women busy in daily chores and rural life in general. In search of his creative identity, he was certain about one thing: instead of looking to the West, he wanted to take inspiration from his own surroundings. “I realised that my art earlier was missing this. It had to be rooted to be honest and appealing,” he says.
Fascinated by the feminine form, he has often been criticised for his sensuous works. Question him, and he says, “What can I say? As a man, I love a woman’s form and beauty. Besides, I grew up surrounded by these hardworking women of Telangana with their rustic simplicity that has always appealed to me. To be honest, I am still working at getting her perfect.” While discussing Vaikuntam’s work, another artist that comes to mind is Laxma Goud.
This Hyderabad-born painter and a contemporary of Vaikuntam also started depicting rural life on his canvas around the same time that Vaikuntam discovered his creative muse. Goud’s initiative egged Vaikuntam to continue with his new-found muse. He openly admits, “The ‘Telangana woman’ brought me a unique identity. To me they represent strength.” Little wonder that even after three decades of portraying them on his canvas, his fascination with them continues.
The Hyderabad-based artist won the Bharat Bhavan Biennale Award in 1988 and the Lalit Kala Akademi’s National Award in 1993. Vaikuntam, who has travelled with his art across Germany, the US and the UK, considers KG Subramanyan his mentor.
“He showed me the right path and nurtured my talent,” says the septuagenarian. Besides expressing through his paintings, Vaikuntam has also worked as an art director for the National Award-winning film Daasi, and others such as Maa Bhoomi and Matti Manushulu. So will we see him helm another such project in the near future? “I don’t think so. For now I am quite content with what I am doing. I have no time for films,” he laughs.