Interview with Legendary Indian Artist Thota Vaikuntam

Known for his boldly colorful depictions of the rural people of Telangana and recognized for his particular bright yet earthy color palette, <a href="https://laasyaart.com/thota-vaikuntam" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Thota Vaikuntam</a> is one of the most popular Indian artists living and working today. On my recent trip to India, I sat down for a chat with Mr. Vaikuntam to share his story with Laasya Art, having had the pleasure of knowing him for over a decade. What follows is our conversation — I was taken in with the immense dedication and perseverance he demonstrated in his artistic pursuits. Throughout his career, Mr. Vaikuntam has continued his quest to distill his unique sensibility as an artist, a skill that helps establish an artist as a ‘brand.’ <img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:374/0*ZvfF59XFFm3S8duc.jpg" style="height:458px; width:374px" /> Laasya Art founder Sonia Patwardhan with artist Thota Vaikuntam. <h2>Do you remember when your interest in art was aroused?</h2> I guess it must have been in childhood, can’t really say. Like all children in a village, I used to watch street plays, puppet shows and folk dance dramas that would be enacted regularly through the year. Often, these performances would go on throughout the night. I was fascinated by the characters they portrayed — Bhima, Hanuman — their costumes and supernatural strength. I would come home and draw them from memory! As my skills improved, I was able to fine-tune these drawings, closer to reality. When I became older, I sometimes even participated in the performances — I loved to put on colorful costumes, paint my face. I would say that is how I ‘entered’ the area of ‘art’ without knowing what art is! <a href="https://laasyaindianart.medium.com/interview-with-legendary-indian-artist-thota-vaikuntam-b6f05fb91dae">Click Here</a>