Important Notice

Thota Vaikuntam's art has a sense of strength to it, a power that emanates from the paint or charcoal that he applies to the surface, from his controlled lines, and from the fine strokes that he executes. He generally uses only primary colours, as he believes that composite colours do not exist in nature and are thus unnatural. As he explains, "I like using rich primary colours, which give a sense of character and depth to my paintings. Like... Thota Vaikuntam's art has a sense of strength to it, a power that emanates from the paint or charcoal that he applies to the surface, from his controlled lines, and from the fine strokes that he executes. He generally uses only primary colours, as he believes that composite colours do not exist in nature and are thus unnatural. As he explains, "I like using rich primary colours, which give a sense of character and depth to my paintings. Like reds and saffron and even orange, because these are essentially Indian colours. I don't like using colours that are mix of two, because they are not natural, they don't exist in surroundings around us, in our everyday life".

Exploring the artist's favourite subject, Aditi De asks, "What makes Vaikuntam's Telangana women stand apart? Their presence, for one. They emerged, full blown, on his canvases around the Eighties. Dark-skinned and voluptuous, these mature women beckon the eye with their lustrous skin, their bright saris, their profiles almost turned away, rendered either as bust or in three-quarter length. Their jewellery is distinctive - rows of bangles, armbands, glittering nose-rings, and elaborate ear ornaments. Enhancing it all is the most graceful decoration for a rustic sundari or belle, flowers from the soil in perfectly-draped strands. The belle's make-up draws from rural dressage. Turmeric to evoke the gold of sunburnt skin, smeared across her broad forehead, often down her nose, up to the chin. A huge crimson circle of kumkum to centre the eye and soul. Bold eyes outlined with kajal or collyrium, a dark spot on the cheek to ward off the evil eye...In these huge canvases, Vaikuntam immortalizes his earthy icon for all time" ("The Village within the City: Encounters with the Large Canvases of Thota Vaikuntam", Rustic Ragas: Inner Melodies of Thota Vaikuntam, Timeless Books, New Delhi, 2008, p. 73, 77, 80).

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