India Art Fair Brings Diverse Voices to Hyderabad

Hyderabad: At the India Art Festival (IAF), Kantha Reddy’s My Hyderabadi stood out as a striking city portrait. The blue sculpture maps Charminar, Golconda Fort and Osmania University across a face cut by the Musi river. “When I was a child, we used to drink its water. The lotus flower would bloom there. Now, we cannot even touch it,” Reddy said, turning the river’s decline into artistic form.

Another set of concerns runs through the work of Boddeti Suryanarayan from Visakhapatnam, whose paintings focus on tribal communities in Andhra Pradesh. “Tribal people are often neglected and not recognised. Through my paintings, I want to bring their culture and way of life into the mainstream,” he explained, drawing on fifteen years of study.

In contrast, Sanuj Birla’s pop and postmodern pieces critique consumerism, offering a contemporary visual language. Visitors moved across two floors of galleries and collectives. “The collection and displays are excellent. It’s worth buying,” said Hyderabad-based visitor S.M. Jain, describing an interactive piece that shifted from butterflies to an autumn tree depending on perspective.

Veteran artist Bhaskara Rao, associated with the fair for over eighteen years, presented his long-running Tree of Life series. “This is a very good platform for young, upcoming and even self-taught artists who don’t know how to approach galleries,” he said.

Traditional practices also found space. Karan Singh, a fourth-generation Pichwai artist from Udaipur, traced his family’s work back to palace and temple commissions. Pune-based Prashantt Yampure showcased paintings inspired by Kathakali, focusing on costume and expression. “Kathakali is very complex, and I focus on capturing those intricate elements,” he said.