Photo-realistic paintings in oil on canvas by Uday Bhaskar Pendem and Keerthi Kankipati were on display at the exhibition subtitled, “SIGHT & INSIGHT“. The paintings focus on growing urbanisation and its consequences. The artists have successfully created optically convincing illusions of reality simulating and assimilating what they have seen and experienced.
Both artists reconstruct narratives, capturing them through extreme photographic reality. This mode essentially necessitates the artists to be adroit and precisely focus on re-presenting the simulated reality or the improvised illusion, enhancing the visual sight and the appropriated/desired imagery. The paintings exhibited create a sense of tangible solidity and substantial presence of substances that are familiar to us. Their clever use of volume, tactile quality and subtlety of chiaroscuro all manifest ensuring a complex understanding of real and natural. These recent paintings demonstrate their artistic insight as the use of imagery appears to be apolitical in nature but the very selection of it intends to create a dialogue about the status quo of artistic practice in the region. They are neither decorative nor ethnographic in character, but certainly resonate their personal experiences in the bubbling urbanity.
Uday Bhakar Pendem: Born in 1981 Chirala, Uday learnt traditional painting and temple architecture in Tirupati and nurtured his skills under the tutelage of renowned artist duo Shesha Brahmam and Gundu Anjaneyulu. Later he went on to pursue his Bachelor of Fine Arts in the year 2005 and finished Master of Fine Arts in the year 2013 from the prestigious College of Fine Arts, Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University, Masabtank, Hyderabad.
Uday’s paintings examine growing urban landscape in Hyderabad. In contrast to the nostalgic idea of his indigenous ambience, these paintings reflect his aversion to and disassociation with the sappy urbanisation. The recent paintings show much more maturity and dexterity, as the artist precisely deals with the schema and the selection of imagery, which articulate both irony and reality whilst they are displayed in an Art Gallery.
Keerthi Kankipati: Born in 1984, Keerthi studied Bachelor of Fine Arts in Potti Sree Ramulu Telugu University in 2006 and in 2011, she went on to study Master of Fine Arts in College of Fine Arts, Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University, Masabtank, Hyderabad. She participated in several exhibitions and camps in and around Hyderabad.