Hyderabad: For art enthusiasts, budding artists, and art archivists, Reviving The Roots, the centenary celebrations of Dr. Kondapalli Seshagiri Rao provide a rare opportunity to explore the life and legacy of the versatile artist. Launched on January 25 at the State Gallery of Art here, this 12-day long retrospective exhibition celebrates the artist whose contributions to art, education, cultural preservation, and art historical writing often remained overshadowed due to his focus on mythological themes, the vernacular nature of his writings, and the perception of his art as overtly traditional.
Born on January 27, 1924, in Mahaboobabad, Telangana, Kondapalli Seshagiri Rao was deeply influenced by the architectural grandeur of the Kakatiya dynasty. While his contemporaries were searching for roots in Lepakshi, in pursuit of indigenisation, Seshagiri Rao found inspiration in the traditional arts and temple sculptures of the Telangana region.
As part of the centenary retrospective exhibition, the family, in collaboration with the Hyderabad Art Society and the Department of Painting, College of Fine Arts, Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNAFAU), also organised a three-day Wash Painting Workshop and paper presentations on Dr. Kondapalli Seshagiri Rao by students from the Department of Painting.
Anand Gadapa, a faculty member at JNAFAU, co-wrote An Odyssey of Life and Art: Dr. Kondapalli Seshagiri Rao with his wife Nirmala Biluka. When asked what fascinated him the most about Seshagiri's work, Anand, almost immediately, responded, "As a Renaissance artist, he tried to document the art forms rather than documenting himself."
Venugopal Rao, Seshagiri's third son in a family of six children, moved to the US after retiring as chief engineer. He returned to India, specifically for his father's centenary celebration. Venugopal, in his seventies but with a childlike innocence and excitement, recalled what it was like growing up in an artist's household: "Right from our childhood, we have seen him create. We grew up surrounded by colours. It wasn’t just oxygen; we breathed in the scent of paint, the lead of the colours." Reflecting on his father’s frugality with materials, Venugopal shared, "He never wasted a piece of paper, not even a wedding card." And true to his words, some of Seshagiri Rao’s creations can be found on invitation cards in the exhibition.
Artists often speak of needing space and solitude to create. When asked how Seshagiri managed to produce large artworks in a household of six children, Venugopal laughed and said, "We were obedient kids. Very early on, we were told not to touch his brushes, paints, or other materials. So, we used to keep away."
- He made numerous efforts to bridge the gap between traditional and modern aesthetics. As part of this, he wrote extensively on bhittichitra, comparing and contrasting the northern and southern mural traditions, and also compiled an aesthetic treatise, Ruparuchi, in Telugu.
- Through his sketchbooks, Surekha-I and Surekha-II, Rao documented the sculptural magnificence of historical sites like Hampi, Lepakshi, and Warangal.
- His published and unpublished writings reflect his keen research interest and offer valuable insights into the historical development of Andhra and Telangana.
The Kondapalli family was busy interacting with art enthusiasts and aspiring artists, while students from JNAFAU were engaged in decoding Seshagiri’s work in a workshop on the top floor. The second floor of the gallery buzzed with energy as students moved from painting to painting, taking notes, and immersing themselves in the artistic world of Seshagiri Rao.
A conversation with V Chandana, a student at the Department of Painting at JNAFAU, who has done an archival project on Kondapalli, shed light on the impact, influence, and significance of Rao's work, techniques, and ideology for younger artists. "He is often misunderstood as a traditional artist. While his work shows influence from the Bengal School, he developed a unique style of his own. It's a blend of academic techniques from Bombay and oriental influences from Shantiniketan, along with Sino-Japanese watercolour techniques. He experimented a lot with these mediums and developed an aqua texture technique that is unique to him. We still don’t know exactly how he did it," she said. "Not only did he teach us artistic techniques, but he also taught us critical thinking. He was a treasure of knowledge, a treasure of artistic techniques. That’s what he is to us—artists, researchers, and archivists," Chandana added.
Inspired by his early mentors Deendayal Naidu at the school level and Sukumar Deuskar at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, Hyderabad, Seshagiri Rao honed his art under the patronage of Mehdi Nawab Jung Bahadur. He learned Wash Painting techniques from Mohammed Jalaluddin in Hyderabad and later studied under Nandalal Bose at Shantiniketan. Speaking of his father’s time at Shantiniketan, Venugopal recalled stories about his father’s dedication. "We were told that he would stay at Shantiniketan even during holidays and not come home. My father's dedication to art was a key reason he became one of Nandalal Bose’s favourite students."
Rao created over 1000 paintings during his lifetime, with 220 currently on display at the gallery, while the rest are carefully preserved at Venugopal's residence in LB Nagar. When asked about preserving such a vast collection of his father’s works, Venugopal admitted, "Maintenance does require a lot of care, time, hard work, and money." The family is seeking help from the government. "Assistance has been promised, however, it has yet to be forthcoming," shared Venugopal.
For Seshagiri, reviving hidden local culture was a mission, and exploring the core essence of a unique visual idiom was vital. The postures and gestural details in his paintings reflect his deep understanding of the Kakatiya artistic tradition. His work is an intriguing blend of "Oriental thought" and a spiritual outlook. Rao’s son, Sampath Kondapalli, shared that his father "used to observe Navratri Sadhana with his art. Starting on the first day of Navratri, he would complete a painting of Goddess Durga in nine days. It was his way of worshipping the divine feminine." Speaking about Rao's subject and theme choices, Anand said, "His ideas were very traditional, spiritual even, but his style was progressive."
- One of his most significant contributions was the rediscovery and revival of the Nakashi Scroll Painting tradition, closely linked to the Kulapurana (caste-myth) performance tradition unique to Telangana.
- Rao's artistic brilliance earned him the prestigious Hamsa Award and the NTR National Award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
- The Ministry of Human Resources Development honoured him as an ‘Artist Emeritus’, while Potti Sriramulu Telugu University awarded him an Honorary Doctorate.
We obtained a copy of a handwritten note by Seshagiri for one of his Goddess Durga paintings created during the 1992 Navratri. For those who can read Telugu, this note offers a glimpse into his creative process, detailing every aspect of the painting, from the facial expression of Prasannavadana to the accessories and colour of the saree.
Speaking further on how Seshagiri never put himself in the spotlight, Anand noted, "Fortunately, the family is doing what he never did for himself." As he pointed to the vibrant activity at the art gallery, he added, "Look at his energy here. It’s his energy that is transforming into the various styles of upcoming artists. He’s now like a bridge between the so-called revivalist tradition and modernist traditions. For us, he is a teacher of teachers."
Throughout his career, Seshagiri Rao’s creativity knew no bounds as he explored diverse mediums, mastering oil painting, wall murals, and pioneering aqua texture paintings, which fused Oriental techniques with regional subject matter. However, he witnessed the rise of progressive movements and Western modernism, which often threatened to overshadow Indian traditions. "He was progressive, no doubt. Seshagiri Rao tried to develop a new style that was authentic only to him," said Saayantan Chaki, a 3rd-year student at JNAFAU, who took a break from the workshop to share his thoughts.
He was an active social figure who surrounded himself with social reformers of his time. Even though he came from an upper caste, Rao worked for the marginalised communities. His artwork had a deep social message and used complex visual language. One of his paintings, Harjanodyamam (meaning "Dalit Movement"), reflects his Marxist views and makes a powerful statement against the powerful ruling system, regardless of his own religion or social status. His dedication to regional nationalism, seeing it as both a personal and creative idea, set him apart as a visionary artist and thinker. As Chandana said, "He had strong regional consciousness. He wasn’t just a nationalist; he was a regionally oriented nationalist from Hyderabad."
Rao was diagnosed with dementia in the later stages of his life, a condition kept him away from his art. However, at the request of his grandchild, he attempted to sketch a dear. The centenary exhibition, spread across the second floor concludes with this final piece of art created in 2012, just 50 days before he breathed his last in Hyderabad.
The retrospective exhibition, which began on January 25, will conclude on February 5. Do visit if you are in and around the city.
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