SURYA PRAKASH

ABOUT SURYA

Born in 1940 in Madhira, Khammam district of Telangana, Surya Prakash was a prolific Indian artist who won national and international acclaim for his vibrant canvases that captured the sensuous beauty variety of nature. He lived and worked in Hyderabad all his life.

Surya studied Fine Arts at Jawaharlal Nehru College of Fine Arts and Architecture in Hyderabad. Shortly afterwards, he won a scholarship from the A.P. Lalit Kala Academy to work with renowned artist Ram Kumar in New Delhi.

Surya began his career at the state Information & Public Relations department in Hyderabad.  Three years later, he left the job to pursue his artistic expression more freely and started working independently in a tiny garage that had been converted into a studio where he shared space and ideas with his friends, Laxma Goud and Dakoji Devaraj. They struggled to recognise their work and exhibited their art together during a period when there were few galleries and fewer buyers for fine art.

Gradually, galleries in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai began to notice Surya’s work and fame spread. He blossomed into a painter of international repute. He took risks and experimented with ideas and different media. Influenced by the French Impressionists such as Cezanne and Monet, he continuously experimented with new forms, colours, textures, and motifs.

In the early 80s, he was appointed “Artist in Residence” at the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), a national research laboratory in Hyderabad, where he worked very closely founder-Director, the late P M Bhargava.

Impressed by the depth, breadth, and creativity of Surya’s work at CCMB, Dr G N Rao, ophthalmologist and L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) invited Surya to play a similar role at LVPEI. Dr Rao also provided Surya with studio space, a gallery and complete freedom to showcase his vision throughout the entire hospital, making art a core element.   

Surya was at the forefront of the art movement in Hyderabad. His work was showcased in nearly 60 solo exhibitions and over 100 group shows in India and globally. He had solo exhibitions and group shows in the Paris Biennale, Germany, United States, Tokyo, Poland, Iran, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Hungary, Syria, and France. His works can be seen in prestigious forums, including the India Triennale and the Paris Biennale.

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Surya initially worked mainly in oil and, later on, acrylic medium. He expressed his love of nature through vivid and varied landscapes marked by layers of colour, meticulous attention to texture, and plays of light. The inspiration for his work came from what he called his extensive “visual vocabulary” of images.  His portrayal of native landscapes is sensual and luminous, enticing the onlooker to enter and explore his world.

Surya once mentioned, "My paintings are about the elements in nature, space, light and colour. I would collect my images from visual vocabulary, which are subtle, sensuous and calm. My thought process is to work towards a celebration of nature."

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He constantly evolved as an artist, keeping abreast of changes in technology and its impact on art. He explored digital media and created digital prints of his works in later years.

Surya was a jury member and commissioner for several national and state-level exhibitions and served as a member commissioner for the 5th and 11th India Triennale. He curated numerous exhibitions, including collections for various corporate, educational, scientific and medical institutions. For young artists in Hyderabad, Surya was an inspiring guide and mentor. He was the first person to start an art gallery to exhibit and promote budding artists and help them gain recognition for their work. He conducted art camps and exhibitions to encourage talented artists and promote their sales.

Surya's life and works have been the subject of several books and a documentary film. His book 'Surya Prakash: A Journey Beyond Colours', featuring colour and black and white plates, was published in 1994. Over his lifetime, he received several honours, including the title “Kala Vibhushan” from All India Fine Arts and Crafts, New Delhi. Surya’s paintings have found a home in several museums, corporate houses, banks, institutions and other private and public collections in India and overseas. Surya mentioned in one of his books, “To me, art is life — a higher calling. I cannot imagine my life without art. This is who I am, all of my being, every breath I take, every nuance of my life.”

 
He loved travelling and visited museums and galleries in West Germany, France, England, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Britain. His own paintings have carved a space for themselves in many of these galleries. His works are displayed in museums, individual and institutional collections all over the world.