Artistic touch of Deccan life

Badepalle-born Maredu Ramu was first exposed to painting as a child, observing his grandfather Maredu Balaiah who use to paint the walls of home and temples.

Maredu Ramu says, "I was in X grade when my drawing teacher Narshima Rao recognised my talent and asked me to pursue art. But I did TTC and then shifted to Hyderabad to pursue passion and I did my Masters in Fine Arts from Central University of Hyderabad."

He moved to Hyderabad in 2000 and he remembers the city was very different compared to now. This difference he aims to highlight in his solo show 'Deccan Space'. Showcasing 30 acrylic and drawings on canvas.

Most of the times, Ramu works at night as he feels new ideas are born in the silence, and he can think in better way. "The concept and core idea of my work gradually moved towards exploring the urban terrain with all its modern pomp and glory. The deteriorating and vanishing green expanses and the ever so increasing encroachment on them by human beings gets exemplified through my work with the support of strong metaphorical images/elements," says Ramu.

His work depicts the construction sites with concrete and other materials used for building structures reign over the canvas. The orphaned birds tip toe and get nestled amidst the construction sites. While trying to find a warm place to get settled they are often shown surrounded by huge pillars and half-built structures in the paintings.

"My series has, however, also excelled in inculcating into the visual language the mention of the modern lifestyle, its varied idioms/engagements and attractions. The hoardings in my works reflect the realities of urban life. The huge advertisements exemplify the fact that almost every possible idea and thing can be sold," shares Ramu.

Ramu says, "The façade and the physical appearance gets the utmost importance in today's world. Through my work I am just showing that every aspect of existence in a city is ever changing and ever evolving. For instance, the women in my works are metaphors that reinstate the present, contemporary and modern stance of womanhood."

The hoardings, construction pillars, popular images from advertisements and text grant the works conceptual relevance and allegorical strengths. As an inhabitant of Hyderabad, the artist traverses and contemplates about the city through his visual expressions. Each work brings forth the eclectic amalgamation of varied images/contemporary thought processes as the artist absorbs them from his immediate surroundings.