Date:26/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/26/stories/2006102614480200.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Lifelike works of art

Suresh Krishnamoorthy

Exhibition of paintings by students of Siri institute

IMPRESSIVE: Paintings done by students of Siri Drawing and Oil Painting Institute on display at the ITC Grand Kakatiya Sheraton and Towers.

HYDERABAD: Images so very real. The subjects' eyes appear to convey their feelings, as does the water that almost appears to be flowing. The leaves seem to move with the breeze and the branches sway ever so softly with the wind. Mother nature in all her splendour.

That was the scene striking the eyes of a visitor to the ITC Grand Kakatiya Sheraton and Towers here. Some 100 oil paintings, the works of 40 students of city-based Siri Drawing and Oil Painting Institute, run by artist couple Swamy and Sivakumari, were on display for five days in Hyder Mahal.

More than the objects d'art, the participants also came under the spotlight. The names and details of budding artists, found in a brochure thoughtfully given away at the exhibition, certainly gave people some food for thought. They ranged from people over 60 years of age, to 16 year-old Priyanka Mundada.

Elders too

A 69 year-old housewife, G. Usha Devi had been dabbling in art since her childhood. She even attended some classes in the United States of America and the past four years, has been studiously pursuing art at Siri institute. B. Shashidhar Reddy (26), a former student of the institute and joint secretary of Swetcha-The Freedom, a childcare, education and arts society, gave wings to his art based on Soni Mahiwal. On A 4 size, the painting captures the expression of the lovers on a background of blue and skin colour.

A 20 year-old arts graduate, Madhurima let her imagination loose. Larger than A 3, her painting shows fruits like apples, grapes on a bowl in what appears to be a simple theme, but that possibly speaks of Nature's creation.