Hyderabad’s art scene is finding new ways to make itself seen

Hyderabad’s heart for art is growing bigger, evolving beyond traditional galleries to embrace diverse stories, forms of expression and new audiences. Installations, experimental media including performance and video art, unconventional exhibition spaces, public art, café workshops and a growing wall-art culture reflect its vibrant scene today.

But 50 years ago, Hyderabad was hardly buzzing with art. “There was no art scene and hardly any practising artists,” says 86-year-old artist Laxma Goud, tracing the city’s artistic evolution. While Pakala Tirumal Reddy, aka PT Reddy, is regarded as one of the city’s pioneering artists, Laxma Goud along with the late Surya Prakash and Devraj Dakoji, rented a garage in Himayatnagar to launch a first-of-its-kind collaborative studio Five decades, two landmarks, one evolving city The trio began with batik art using wax as a preoccupation, at the suggestion of the late art historian and collector Jagdish Mittal.

They discontinued it after MF Husain, critical of their efforts, urged them to be original and aspire to be artists rather than craftsmen. “His words were sharp but gave us direction. It felt like a new dawn and brought a sense of vibrancy.” Art in Hyderabad was creative, steeped in tradition and primarily figurative.

Artists such as Laxma Goud and Thota Vaikuntam, whose work was heavily influenced by the region’s culture, ethos and people, were at the forefront. Surya Prakash was a pioneer in introducing abstract art to the city, but it took time to find its audience.

“Many states do not have the beautiful traditions like Kalamkari, Nakash that we had in undivided Andhra Pradesh, which continue to enrich the two Telugu states now,” adds Avani. Institutions such as Lalit Kala Akademi and Hyderabad Art Society nurtured artists through their initiatives.

“PT Reddy garu, Vidya Bhushan garu and Jagdish Mittal garu were a triangle that elevated the art world, but the driving force was LN Gupta, an administrator associated with the Industrial Exhibition Society who was known for his love for art and innate sense of aesthetics.” PT Reddy was one of the leading figures of post-Independence modern Indian art.

He founded the Contemporary Painters of Bombay, a group often described as the ‘Young Turks’ of Indian art, years before the formation of the Progressive Artists’ group. “Renowned art critic Richard Bartholomew observed that in 1941, apart from Amrita Sher-Gil and Rabindranath Tagore, no Indian painter surpassed PT Reddy garu in artistic stature,” says Lakshmi Reddy, PT Reddy’s daughter and a retired professor at NIFT Hyderabad.

While PT Reddy played a pivotal role in nurturing Hyderabad’s art ecosystem and served in various capacities at both the State and Central Lalit Kala Akademis, he also established a graphic studio at his residence for local artists, and championed the acquisition of works by living artists at institutions such as the Salar Jung Museum and the State Museum.

He co-founded the Contemporary Artists of Andhra Pradesh with artists including Mohd. Yasin, Surya Prakash, and Vasudev Kapatral and later established the Hyderabad Council of Artists, under whose aegis the book ‘40 Years of P T Reddy’ was published in 1982.

“His Narayanguda residence, now a museum, houses nearly 600 paintings, around 100 sculptures and works by several prominent Indian artists. In recognition of his contributions, the Andhra Pradesh government had appointed him ‘Asthana Chitrakar’ for life in 1981,” adds Lakshmi.

Artists today can showcase their work in galleries and alternative exhibition spaces, but earlier, options were limited to hiring Kala Bhavan on the Ravindra Bharathi premises or exhibiting at the German centre, Max Mueller Bhavan.

“But only outstation artists could hold solo exhibitions at the German centre,” recollects septuagenarian artist Anjani Reddy, who held her first solo exhibition at Kala Bhavan in 1991. With hardly any art buyers, it was tough for artists to sustain themselves through their practice.

“Art was pursued only by the passionate, as artists knew there was no means of livelihood. There were hardly any private buyers in Hyderabad because art was not a thing to be bought in those days.” Surya Art Gallery, launched by artist Surya Prakash in the early 1990s, provided a platform, and gallery spaces gradually grew.

Anjani, among the first in the city to hire a studio, in 1987 for ₹500, says the art landscape has since undergone a remarkable transformation. Avani agrees, attributing the shift to a younger generation exposed to museums and galleries while travelling abroad.

“The surge in Hyderabad’s global outlook is palpable and reflects in its vibrant social life and openness to new ideas and experiences. This is the beginning.” As Hyderabad finds its place in a globalised art world, work reflecting regional identity is also gaining appreciation.

“People have a renewed interest in the aesthetics of local narratives and have understood the brightness of colours, the distortion, the darkness of the face and realised they all have their own charm,” says Avani. Yet, as artistic activity flourishes, galleries continue to see low footfalls.

“There’s too much exposure and instant gratification on social media, so the curiosity to go to galleries and museums is low,” she says. Still, she remains hopeful that in an increasingly virtual world, the craving for human connection will draw people back to galleries.

As Hyderabad’s art landscape continues to evolve and thrive, the fundamental issue is whether the city’s art ecosystem has expanded beyond galleries—into cafés, public spaces, neighbourhoods, installations and other unconventional venues—and whether this has helped art reach people who wouldn’t necessarily visit a gallery.

According to Avani, these interventions do bring art into everyday life as casual encounters and enhance the spaces around but this does not create deeper engagement. “Galleries offer curatorial context, focused...