Spiritual Canvases to Wearable Art at Indo-Japan Exhibition

Hyderabad: Indian women surrounded by lotuses, elephants and sacred spiritual figures were a part of the canvases of 68-year-old Japanese artist Hiroko Takayama, whose association with India began nearly 45 years ago. Her paintings are part of the Indo-Japan Art Collaboration exhibition in Madhapur, alongside Hyderabad artists Venkat Gaddam’s wearable art and portraits, Priya’s Japanese ink paintings and M.V. Ramana Reddy’s installation on ties between the two countries.

The three-day exhibition, organised by Nara Japan Hub at the State Gallery of Art, opened on Tuesday and will continue until October 15.

Takayama first visited India at 23 as she was travelling to Buddhist sites including Bodh Gaya and Sarnath, as well as Lumbini in Nepal. Hyderabad, however, is a first. “I respect God and Buddha,” she said, recalling how her father prayed daily and spoke to her about Buddha when she was a child.

That early influence remains visible in her oil paintings. A 2017 work, Votive Light, depicts a sari-clad woman with lotus blossoms amid richly coloured foliage and elephants. Another painting, ;Illuminating Light; (2021), takes its inspiration from Bodh Gaya. Takayama described the spiritual idea behind her work saying “Heart is Buddha.”

Her sketches, some completed in “two minutes, three minutes”, contrast with her time-consuming oil paintings. Takayama also recalled presenting one of her paintings of Buddha to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G7 Summit in Hiroshima in 2023. “They requested a painting of a Hindu deity or Buddha, so I presented this Buddha painting. It was a very important moment.”

On the other side of the gallery is Gaddam’s section which includes a combination of his works on canvas to clothes and furniture. Most of his work included an upholstered chair that was on display featured numerous women’s faces. A note beside the chair invites visitors to “sit like you matter”. His digital collages use gas cylinders, scissors and other household objects to comment on patriarchy and gaslighting.

“I’ve been raised by lots of strong women,” he said, referring to his mother, grandmother and sisters. “I have also had a lot of interest in human psychology, which also informs my portraits. I want to create a space for those characters to come alive,” he added.

Although his clothing label Whencut Goddamn began in 2021, Gaddam said he first exhibited around 100 paintings at the age of 12. Hyderabad-based Priya, a self-taught artist with a background in Japanese language, is presenting her sumi-e ink art also alongside Goddam and Takayama. Reddy on the other hand has one installation, Evolving Bonds – India & Japan, on one side illuminated human silhouettes and a wheel motif to represent cultural ties between the two countries.