Artist Udaya Chiluveru always made sure that each of her show was unique and different from her previous ones. So when she worked on her fourth solo show, she knew it had to be very different and that’s when she came up with her series of art — Floral Feast — a mix of Tanjore paintings and flowers.
The idea was simple, says Udaya. “When one thinks of God, you automatically connect God with flowers... so when I was planning my show, I decided to do a combination of the two,” explains Udaya. Because not many people put up traditional paintings of Gods at home, Udaya did a mix of flowers and Tanjore paintings of Hindu deities.
After her MFA from the University of Hyderabad, where she studied under the tutelage of Laxma Goud, Udaya knew she had to do something for art. “I realised that there were a lot of people who wanted to study art but couldn’t afford to go to art schools. So I started this institute where housewives, students etc., could come and learn basic things like drawing, how to create murals and paintings,” says Udaya.
And it was here that Udaya took up Tanjore paintings. “About five-six years ago, we started teaching Tanjore paintings and that was where I got hooked onto the art form,” she adds. The show displays Udaya’s 25 paintings, three sculptures and four masks. And at the display are also a mix of ikebana exhibits.
When it comes to art, Udaya always looks up to her husband Manohar Chiluveru, a famous artist in the city. “We don’t discuss art day in and out... but whenever I need any help, I always ask Manohar, he always advises me. When I showed him my current works, he was very excited and he was the one who asked me to go ahead with the project,” she says.
