‘The Story of the Invincible’ is a depiction of Hanuman’s devotion to Rama and Sita by artist Appam Raghava
‘The Story of the Invincible’ is a depiction of Hanuman’s devotion to Rama and Sita by artist Appam Raghava
A distinctive aspect of Appam Raghava’s artwork is the strong color palette he uses to explore the Bhakti Bhava (devotion) of Hanuman through the series ‘The Story of the Invincible’. The artist, working from his studio at Amangal in Telangana’s Mahbubnagar district, is exhibiting paintings, sculptures and installations at OneDot6, a gallery and store owned by interior designers and architects Amir and Hamida Sharma in Hyderabad.
The paintings and sculptures are head-turning. A fiberglass sculpture of Hanuman is mounted on an acrylic painting in which the artist narrates chapters from the story of Hanuman – his leap towards the Sun as a child, believing that the Sun was a giant ball; The events happened when he crossed the path with Surya and Indra; Hanuman takes the Sanjeevani mountain, and later seeks blessings from Rama and Sita.
Raghav conceptualized the series four years ago, which aimed to portray Hanuman’s devotion to Rama as an expression of Dasya Bhakti and Padasevana. This is the artist’s first full series inspired by mythology: “My earlier works of art, from 1996, were on social themes and also depicted tribal life. In later years I wanted to explore mythology.”
Aamir and Hamida Sharma with artist Appam Raghav. In the background is an artwork on Lakshmi. photo credit: special arrangement
Pops of color and texture in his paintings add an element of drama. Raghav says that he uses colors and textures to effectively convey Hanuman’s devotion to Rama and Rama’s love for Hanuman. Hanuman’s devotion to Rama and Sita is a recurring theme in many of the paintings on display.
The artist also depicts the story of Goddess Lakshmi through a fiberglass structure mounted against a painting that tells her story. He intends to work on a series on Lakshmi in the near future.
A fiberglass mask takes them 20 to 30 days while a painting takes four to five days. “I enjoy working with primary colors — red, blue and green and a few other colors that I mix and match. It’s become my signature style.”
A painting by Appam Raghava | photo credit: special arrangement
Growing up in Amangal, Raghav saw his father depicting rural themes in his artwork. “For any special occasion in the village, my father used to make Ganesha idols. When he saw that I liked to draw, he encouraged me to formally learn the art.” JNTU College of Fine Arts, Hyderabad opened Raghav’s world. He proudly mentions that his daughter is now Lalit. She is studying art and her son is also inclined towards art.
Movie posters from the 1980s were also an inspiration in Raghav’s early years: “The fonts used in some of the film’s posters, such as the Krishna-starrer Simhasanam (1986), were stylized and told something about the story of the film. I used to replicate those fonts with the colors and images around them.”
Raghav occasionally visits Hyderabad to showcase his work or to meet fellow artists: “The city is always busy; I love the quiet rural atmosphere of Amangal,” he says.
(Ajay’s story can be seen till May 29 at One Dot 6, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.)