While thousands of aficionados of the culture and tradition of Telangana had converged at the L.B. Stadium, artists from the two Telugu states rose up to the occasion and represented the land’s glorious culture through their spectacular artwork. Over 100 artists came together on Saturday for an art camp themed on ‘Telangana Kala Vaibhavam’. Interestingly, most of the artists were over 50 years old. Each of them portrayed a unique side of Telangana through their paintings, which will be publicly exhibited on 19th December. M.V. Ramana Reddy, President, Hyderabad Art Society, who organised the art camp, said, “Hyderabad Arts Society has 400 hundred members, and the senior-most artists among them, as well as those who work on the Telangana beat, came together for the show today. For three days, they will paint on the spot, and their art will be exhibited later.”
Talking about the success of the camp, he shared, “Telangana is a hub of art and culture. The response to the camp has been very encouraging. Art is always neglected, and events like this give artists and their work a wonderful exposure, as without art there is no culture. I want to thank the World Telugu Conference for giving us this opportunity.” All artists at the venue were provided with canvases and were seen painting with passion for hours together.
Said Pasula Rajitha, an art teacher from Nellore who came all the way to Hyderabad for the art camp, “My artwork is about the selfie mania. I am painting a man clicking a selfie with the historical monuments of Telangana in the background. It’s about how everyone just wants to click selfies, but are not really bothered about conserving monuments.”
Artist Tuljanand Malik
Hyderabad-based artist L. Sowjanya, shared her pride in the culture of Telangana. “I have always been involved in art. I am featuring Telangana’s historical places such as Yadagirigutta, Bonagiri and Warangal. It’s a nice feeling to be here.”
Artist Vempataapu had come all the way from Tanuku in West Godavari, and was seen painting a traditional Telangana woman. Well-known artist Gouri Vemula was not just painting the Telangana national animal and bird, but also included the Telugu language in her painting. “It’s fun to be here. Artists usually never get a platform like this; we typically work behind closed doors, and so this is nice,” she said. Prof. Lakshmi Reddy added, “It’s a festive atmosphere. Telugu culture and the language are beautiful and need to be celebrated. Every child learns Telugu in school, but when they grow up, they forget the language. I am trying to depict that in my painting.” Another painting that attracted attention was that of Vijay Belde, who painted a traditional Telangana man with two women. The painting showed the man playing a flute, while the women sat mesmerised. “There’s also Telangana’s national bird, Palapitta, and the state’s flower. The men and women are wearing handwoven clothes, sandalwood and elegant ornaments,” he said.
