With a cause in mind

The Hyderabad Art Society has been associated with the All India Industrial Exhibition (held at Numaish, Nampally Exhibition Grounds) since 1941. However, a new and larger gallery space has been provided to the artists for the first time in history. What’s more, the 77th All India Art Exhibition was inaugurated on Saturday by finance minister Etela Rajender amidst several other dignitaries, well-known artists and hundreds of enthusiastic people.

After lighting the lamp in the gallery, M.V. Ramana Reddy, president, Hyderabad Art Society, and other members interacted with the audience. Later, awards were presented to the winning artists. “This year, we have received 415 artwork submissions from all over the country. We have got more entries from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, but we have also received entries from almost 20 other states. It was not easy for the jury to judge as all the artists were talented.

Nevertheless, it’s a wonderful experience to be here at the new gallery, as earlier we only had a small space and we couldn’t display the artwork well. Now, it’s a 3,500 square feet area and it’s a great achievement for the artists of Hyderabad,” said Ramana Reddy.

Stating that the aim of the exhibition was to bring art closer to people, he added, “While we often have exhibitions at places like Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills, we realised that people from this part of the city too have interest in art, maybe even more. How often do you see art exhibitions of such large scale at Nampally?”

Odisha-based sculptor Chandan Kumar Samal, who won the gold medal for his sculpture titled ‘Human Thinking’, says, “My sculpture is made out of stone and steel. It took me 20 days to finish it. I got to know about the exhibition through a student of mine and I submitted my work immediately. I am amazed that I made it as the winner.” 

Telangana-based sculptor K. Sukumar Reddy’s brass sculpture titled ‘Collecting Air’ was also appreciated by one and all. He says, “I won the cash award and I am really happy. We are not getting fresh air in the city. So this man in the sculpture is trying to get fresh air from the top of the tree. It’s about how there is a need to curb pollution.” Local artist Aasha Radhika also portrayed the life of a girl child in her painting. Aasha, who supports her love for painting by working in a bank, says, “I am a deputy manager at the State Bank of India, so I juggle painting and banking. I had hopes of winning when I submitted my work, and I am extremely happy that it became a reality.”

On the other hand, city-based artist Rupa Vani’s work may not have won an award, but it did win many hearts. “The concept is about pollution. It’s about how everyone is wearing masks to protect themselves from pollution, regardless of their age or religion. I am also trying to portray what the future generations will face because of this pollution,” she concludes.