Thota Vaikuntam is a legend in contemporary Indian art. He has created, over the years, an image of his dark and dusky beauties, the Telangana women, that has become his uniquely identifiable icon.

His women, pandits and other village folk are much loved and sought after by the connoisseurs. His paintings have an undeniable element of shringara rasa, whether in embellishments, sensuality or love and longing of characters depicted.

Besides his work as a painter, Vaikuntam has also worked as Art Director for films like Maa Bhoomi, Rangula Kala, Dasi and Matti Manushulu. There is an interesting mix of tradition and contemporaneity in his work. He has also rendered amazing charcoal drawings and etchings during his early period.

Born in 1942 in Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh, Vaikuntam has a Diploma in Painting from College of Fine Arts and Architecture, Hyderabad and studied painting and printmaking in MS University, Baroda, under a Fellowship from AP Lalit Kala Akademi. He has earned international acclaim, and his works have been exhibited all over India and in London and New York. AP Lalit Kala Akademi, Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal and other Art Academies in the country have honoured him with several Awards. Vaikuntam is the only person with National Awards both for Painting (1993) and Art Direction for Film (for Dasi in 1989).

He lives in Hyderabad with his wife, two sons and a daughter.

Telangana women by T. Vaikuntam

source : http://www.museindia.com/showissue.asp?id=2


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