Artist Yasala Prakash exhibits his collection of Batik works at Yasala Balaiah Art Gallery in Borabanda, titled Divergent Images of Lord Ganesha. His canvases are known for its images of folk and cultural themes of Bonalu and Bathukamma festivals, highlighting different facets of Telangana.
Visitor looks at a Ganesha work at the gallery | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The 18 pieces on display — from 16×20 inches and 3×2 feet (which cost between ₹5,000 and ₹25,000) — show the elephant god in different postures — standing, dancing, playing the veena and seated on a throne. All the images have a touch of Batik (the art of creating patterns using wax and dye on cloth).
Yasala Prakash | Photo Credit: special arrangement
Prakash is an art teacher at Telangana Tribal Welfare School in Jinnaram in Sangareddy. He is the son of renowned batik artist (late) Yasala Balaiah. It took Prakash five months to create these works.
Besides using traditional Batik colours such as brown, yellow, red and brown on a white cloth, the artist has also experimented by dying the fabric with blue and brown shades and also brought in variations in texture. Some collectors buy Ganesha paintings only when the face has a tinge of yellow but they do not have such sentiments when they buy a Batik piece; hence, Batik artists have more freedom while creating such works.
Divergent Images of Lord Ganesha is on at Yasala Balaiah Art Gallery, Borabanda till October 8, 11 am to 6 pm.
The Yasala Balaiah Art Gallery in Borabanda, named after Prakash’s father, has not had any shows since Yasala Balaiah passed away in 2020. Now Prakash wants to revive it as a new 100-foot road has made the gallery more accessible.
The exhibition is being held with the support of the Department of Culture and Language.
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