Thota Vaikuntam

Description

T. Vaikuntam hails from Andhra Pradesh, in South India, and draws a lot of inspiration for his work from the rural areas of the state. The men and women of his village have often been depicted in his work. Women, in particular, are frequent subjects for his works. The love for this subject can be traced back to his childhood, when he used to be fascinated by the impersonations of women characters by the male artists of the theatre groups that traveled to, and performed in his village.

Vaikuntam portrays women as sensual and voluptuous. The colours used to paint women give them a vibrant and decorative, look. The male form appears remarkably calm, with a sense of humour. His work has a distinct rural flavour. In his work, he uses only primary colours. Most of his work is in tempera and watercolour, on paper. His recent substitution of paper with wood lends his work an ephemeral quality.