Laxma Goud (b.1940)
Laxma Goud, a master draftsman,
displays his versatility over a range of mediums, from etching, gouache and
pastels, to glass paintings. Over the years he is known to have moved from one
medium to another with elan. A student at the Government School of Art and
Architecture Hyderabad, he graduated with a diploma in drawing and painting in
1963. His fellow colleague T. Vaikuntam, in one of his interviews, reminisces
that it was Laxma Goud who introduced him to the art of sketching and made him
aware of the possibilities of this medium.
'Rustic', 'raw', 'potent' are the words that come to mind when looking at Laxma
Goud's works. The portraits of men and women represent the dynamic Indian ethos
rather than particular individual identities. The power of his lines in black
and white or in color is eloquent in its expression. A recurrent theme with
Laxma is that of the erotic, treated as an active and powerful aspect of male
and female sexuality. Unlike the lovers of Khajuraho, Laxma's'nayaks' and 'nayikas'
are raw and vivacious in their appeal. In his world, the tree spirits and those
of the animal kingdom amalgamate to create a new fantasy.
Lush landscapes in vivid colors are the most recent of Laxma's works. These are
miniatures, but so far, most of Laxma's works are on the smaller format. That is
another aspect important to the artist's style, it almost seems as though he
wants the viewer to be intimate with his creations.
He is now living & working in Hyderabad.