Strokes from a dreamy mindscape

HYDERABAD:  Artist Santhosh Kotagiri was born and brought at Nalgonda, Telangana in a farmer’s family. As a little child, he would sit near the rice fields, gaze at them, dig the clay and make toys from the soil. He would even speak and play imaginary games with them which led even to some fights.

The same is quite subtly embedded in his artworks which are surrealistic in nature. He’s been living in Hyderabad for the past 25 years as he completed his Bachelor’s Degree from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) and later studied for an MFA. He shares, “Hailing from a humble peasant family did not give me enough financial stability to me and I really had to struggle initially to establish myself.

Now, I have taken a job as an art teacher at CHIREC International School at Kondapur.” As a single child, all his attention used to be directed to the surroundings in which he grew up. He used to play by himself as there were no other children around him. That’s how the indelible imprints in his artworks are almost Daliesque in nature bringing together abstract, twisted realist and imagist elements in a montage of cosmic blue, jade green and topaz yellow swept together with different strokes.

It’s not hard to find a blueprint of his childhood creativity especially when he explores bio-morphism. The curved lines add dynamic fluidity at the same time giving it a hazy dreamy look. As of now, his artworks have been part of three solo shows and 18 exhibitions.

Later, he also participated in group exhibitions held in Singapore and South Africa. His surrealist streaks won him awards as well. It’s his blend of common with the uncommon is what makes his opuses interesting to look at. He’s planning a new series of works which will focus on different elements of metamorphosis and how it affected the human mind.

He signs off, “I will be including a melange elements pertaining to biomorphism in my opuses. Art addresses it through multiple dimensions on the canvas. The process is on and the exhibition will be done soon.”

— Saima Afreen  saima@ newindianexpress.com   @Sfreen