HYD.ART 2025 to Showcase Rare Husain, Raza Works in Hyderabad

Curator and show director Annapurna Madipadiga said the city had waited many years for an event of this scale. She spoke about how Keerthanam will recognise senior Telugu artists and how the schedule includes documentaries on lost art forms, workshops, panel discussions, an interactive session and a book release of 150 Gandhi drawings by Shankar Pamarthy on the second day. “This landmark initiative shines a spotlight on our talented artists while giving them national and international exposure,” she said, adding that 35 Hyderabad-based artists will be featured alongside well-known names and emerging talent.

Navanaami’s founder and managing director Venkat Naveen Gadde said the group wanted to be part of HYD.ART 2025 because art and culture matter to the city’s identity as much as its buildings. “Great cities are shaped not just by infrastructure, but by imagination,” he said, describing the event as a cultural commitment as it opens at EON Hyderabad from December 19 to 21.

Senior artists A Rajeswara Rao and Padma Reddy spoke about how students and younger creators often continue their practice while working other jobs, and said this festival could bring them overdue recognition. Rajeswara Rao called HYD.ART 2025 an opportunity for both established and newer artists. Padma Reddy said more colleges and training centres have led to more promising work in the city. “Art is born out of passion, but without promotion and exposure, neither art nor artists can thrive,” she said, adding that Mumbai and Delhi have had major art festivals for years and that Hyderabad deserves the same kind of attention.

Organisers listed the full spread of events planned at EON Hyderabad. A Masters of India gallery will show rare works by Husain and Raza. Keerthanam will honour veteran Telugu artists. The festival will include 30 contemporary artists from Hyderabad and another 30 emerging artists from different parts of India. A three-generation Mithila curation will show how the form has grown over time. Sessions across three days will include a talk on M. V. Dhurandhar by art historian Sandeep Dahisarkar, a discussion on acquiring master works, a session by A. Shree Tej on craft and design practices, the Daivatvam panel with Avinash Karn, Kaushik Kumar Jha and Pratik Prabhakar, and workshops on Mithila painting, gouache cityscapes, fabric and mixed media techniques by Chandrapal, and woodcut printing.