At Thota Vaikuntam’s Delhi show, women, village, everyday marvels

Thota Vaikuntam’s figurative paintings, mostly stylised portraits of women in various shades of primary colours, have always been rooted in his origins. Born in a small village in Andhra Pradesh, his connection to Burugupalli has shaped his work, infusing it with the resplendent hues and rich traditions of rural Telangana. His solo exhibition, ‘Redefining the Cultural Gaze’, on view at the Art Alive Gallery in New Delhi from October 17 to November 20, brings together his works from the 1980s to 2024.

“Telangana has always been a source of inspiration for me,” says Vaikuntam, reflecting on how his journey began in these humble settings. “As a child, I closely observed different communities, prominent art forms, and local theatre groups,” he adds.

Having studied painting and printmaking at the Faculty of Fine Arts, MSU, Baroda, when Vaikuntam started out as an artist, he was encouraged by his guru, Modernist master KG Subramanyan, to go back to his roots. “Observing the people and the local culture served as a source of inspiration,” he says. This pushed Vaikuntam to draw on his cultural heritage rather than shy away from it: “I have since kept the focus on capturing the vibrant colours of Telangana and my people — the dynamic yellows, reds and greens. Over the years, I have worked with these subjects, stylised them and presented them in all their grandeur.”

Vaikuntam’s latest show seeks to explore his evolution over five decades, an arc that saw his works grow not just in size, but depth as well. “What has remained constant is my passion for art and the attachment to my roots. Even today, I capture the essence of everyday life in rural Telangana.” Vaikuntam, however, acknowledges the shifts that time has brought to his work. “Earlier, I used to work in small format, in charcoal and on paper as I did not have money to buy paint,” he recalls. “As my artistic practice developed, I started working on bigger canvases, and elements such as musical instruments became a part of my visual language.”

Vaikuntam’s early work with charcoal and Conte on paper laid the foundation for the expansive canvases he now produces in acrylics. “I tried to incorporate numerous techniques in charcoal initially,” he says. “Charcoal is an excellent medium because it allows you to modify the image drastically.” But acrylics allowed him to explore his full vision. “The move to acrylics was gradual. I began working on small formats, applying multiple washes, and then progressed to larger canvases. This transition allowed me to portray my rich inner world, filled with memories and visions of my people, the women, the village, and its everyday marvels.”

The women in his work are draped in sarees, adorned with jewellery. “Telangana women are the epitome of strength for me. It is not only their beauty that inspires me, but how they take care of their family, follow culture and harbour the endless reservoir of love in them. This made me look closely and study their intricate jewellery, hairdos and attires,” he says. The postures and expressions of these women carry the weight of both personal and collective histories. When asked how he manages to infuse such intensity into their forms, Vaikuntam attributes it to his fascination with their sartorial choices and the gestures that seem to tell stories without words.

Vaikuntam’s work blends Indian aesthetics with modernist elements. While contemporary art often looks outward for inspiration, his work turns inward, grounding itself in the folk traditions and rural life of Telangana while still engaging with broader global trends. “My art intends to convey a uniquely Indian way of painting, celebrating the spirit of Indian villages at its core,” he says.

In his theatrical figures and delicate lines, Vaikuntam remains tethered to a specific cultural context, reimagining them for a global audience far beyond Telangana’s borders. “It is an endeavour to instil the myriad moods and the rich cultural heritage of rural Telangana within the contemporary art world.”

— The Delhi-based contributor writes on arts, literature and culture