Thota for an artsy day

When it comes to art, there aren’t hard and fast rules as such. Except for one prerequisite – of needing to listen to your heart, and channel unbridled creativity by breaking through (mental) barriers. Or so believes renowned artist Thota Laxminarayana, whose tryst with the canvas, spanning 15 years, has been nothing short of inspiring. Based out of Telengana, Thota shares the inside track about his musings on art ahead of a visit to Bengaluru for an art exhibit later this month...

“I haven’t been to Bengaluru. The idea of coming down excites me because I’ve heard that this city’s people are knowledgeable about art. This is going to be a group exhibit where I intend to showcase seven affordable paintings of mine in a small format. The art scene is thriving, and I would like to gauge the general interest of the city’s art connoisseurs,” begins the 45-year-old artist, who believes that his decision to pursue art was a gradual process. “Everyone in the family pursued art – in form of drawing, painting or some form or the other. So, it didn’t take me long to discover my flair for art. But, on a deeper level, my earliest memories are of seeing my grandma (father’s mom) weaving out fine embroidery and being awe-inspired by the same. That’s where the real interest to pursue art began,” says the artiste.

Thota Laxminarayana’s works have been deeply rooted in Indian folklore. And, the artiste attributes it to his humble and rural roots. “I’ve had a very simple countryside upbringing in the Nirmal district in Telengana. The area was largely inhabited by tribals. Their rawness, the beauty of their rustic yet organic living always enthralled me as a child. The fact that I was fortunate enough to be exposed to vast expanses of greenery and wild also helped me build a perspective as an artiste. And understand the nuances of painting better.”  His canvases are often covered with colourful and vibrant strokes of rural folk – with the focus being on the quaintness and beauty of simplicity of country life. Majorly an acrylic artist, Thota Laxminayarana has tried his hand at sketching with gel pens too.  Speaking about his observations about new age artists today, Thota smilingly adds, “Patience is prerogative to success. We often forget that today. But the youngsters today are immensely talented.”

Having his paintings exhibited across the globe, Thota has come a long way. But, his advice to aspiring artistes is to take it slow and steady. “It is important to give your passion a chance. But, in today’s context, it is also very important to have a job or another steady source of income. Art should be perceived as a lifelong pursuit. Only then would you reach a point where you can say that your efforts have paid. There are no shortcuts to becoming an established artist,” he concludes.