Ordinary people, extraordinary paintings

Artist Sesha Brahmam talks about his hyperrealistic work, his next show in India Fine Art Gallery in Mumbai, his take on life and more

Ongole-based artist Sesha Brahmam Yeluri belongs to a family of artists. His great-grandfather Lakshmanacharyulu was a sculptor who did the makara thoranam at the Garbhagudi in the Tirumala temple. He did various other sculptiang work for 7 years at the temple. Sesha’s grandfather was a goldsmith, while his father a carpenter. Sesha started off early too — he did nethra darshanam paintings of Lord Venkateshwara for a TTD calendar when he was just 22. Now his kids — 12-year-old Dheeraj and 8-year-old Amrutha — are also showing interest in drawings and crafts.

Sesha studied at the Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University in ’92. “I have been settled in Hyderabad since 28 years. I have always been interested in hyperrealism. The genre (where paintings and drawings resemble photographs) is common in the United States and Europe but not so much in India.

But if you see, there’s so much beauty in ordinary life in our country. My artwork is mostly candid images of ordinary people going about with their ordinary life. I love Indian colours and characters,” says the 45-year old artist.

While he has exhibited his work at quite a few galleries in the city, he is now prepping up for an exhibition at the India Fine Art Gallery in Mumbai. “I have only a few more months to go. I am taking 14 hyperrealistic paintings and drawings with me. I have spent most of the lockdown period working on them,” he shares.

Sesha spends around 12 hours a day painting and drawing in his studio. “Hyperrealistic work requires us to spend hours together painting/drawing. We cannot take frequent breaks and sometimes I work 10 hours straight. Art requires a lot of patience. My wife Srivani is very supportive and takes care of our kids,” he shares with a smile.

Sesha loves learning a new skill every 6 months. Apart from photography, digital art, clay moulding and set designing, he’s also into granite sculpting. He has done work at the Yadagirigutta temple and a temple near the Suryalanka Beach in Bapatla. He even designed a resort at Ibrahimpatnam.

Talking about his future plans, he says he wants to do at least one show every year from now on. “As an artist, I can see beauty in every thing, even in something that’s thrown away as garbage. I’ve never been bored for even 10 minutes in my entire life. I look at everything in 3D, so there’s never a dull moment. I think, the best part about being an artist is that you learn to deal with life beautifully,” he concludes.

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