Siramdasu Venkata Rama Rao | |
---|---|
Born | 1936
Gudiwada, Andhra Pradesh, India |
Occupation | Painter |
Known for | Art |
Spouse | Suguna |
Children | Padmavathi |
Awards |
Padma Shri Lord Croft Award The Most Outstanding Artist in the Commonwealth |
Siramdasu Venkata Rama Rao (born 1936) is a British painter [1] [2] of Indian descent, [3] known for his cubist paintings. [4] Holder of Commonwealth Fellowship of 1962, [4] he was honored by the Government of India, in 2001, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri. [5]
Rao, whose father was a wood carver and, later, builder, [4] [6] [7] was born in Gudiwada, [3] in the South India state of Andhra Pradesh, in 1936, [2] [8] [9] His graduate studies were in Accounting and Banking in which he graduated from Andhra University in 1955. [6] During this period, he studied art under the tutelage of K. Venugopal [7] and later, under K Srinivasulu [3] and secured a government diploma in Fine Arts in 1955 [6] from Kalakshetra, Chennai. On the insistence of the progressive art director of the institution, Madhavapeddi Gokhale, [7] he joined Madras School of Arts and Crafts, present day Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai for advanced training [4] [9] and passed a Fine Arts degree course in 1959. [6] Simultaneously, he studied Economics and secured a second graduate degree from Andhra University. [6]
His association with the renowned painter, K. C. S. Paniker, in Chennai, assisted him in his growth [3] [6] [7] and he moved to New Delhi in 1959 under a Government of India research fellowship where he stayed till 1962. [6] On receiving a Commonwealth Fellowship that year, [3] Rao migrated to UK [4] and studied at the Slade School of Fine Arts, University of London till 1965 [6] under William Coldstream. [9] The next two years were spent at London County Council as a teacher of painting and drawing. [6] [9] Later, in 1967, he shifted to US and passed the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) course from the University of Cincinnati in 1969 and concurrently taught at the university as a teaching assistant, [9] a post he held till 1969. [6] The next move was to Western Kentucky University as the professor of fine arts. [6] [9] Later, he moved his base to Chicago. [4]
Rao's lithographs are found in the collections of Herbert Reed, Tate Gallery, London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. [7] Some of his exhibitions have been co-hosted by renowned modern painters such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Max Ernst, Jackson Pollock, Georges Braque and Salvador Dalí [4] [7] and his paintings are sold by art auctioneers such as Bonhams [1] and Rosebury's Fine Arts Auctioneers. [2] His paintings are displayed at: [3] [6] [7]
Rao, who is also credited with publications on art and poetry, [4] [10] is married to Suguna and the couple has a daughter, Padmavathi, a known classical dancer of Bharatanatyam. [6] He returned to India [6] in 2003 and pursues his work there. [4]
Rama Rao received the Lord Croft Award in 1962. [3] [7] [9] Three years later, he was selected as The Most Outstanding Artist in the Commonwealth by the Second Commonwealth Biennial of Abstract Art Exhibition, held in London in 1965. [6] A doctorate (DLitt, Honoris Causa) holder from the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University, Hyderabad, Rao's biography is featured in the Outstanding Educators of America and Washington DC publication. [6] The Government of India honoured him with the civilian award of Padma Shri in 2001. [6] [7] [9]