Painters with their backs against the wall

Warangal: Gone are the days when painting brushes that used to dangle and dance artistically in the hands of artists, who used to make a living by painting banners, hoardings and name boards. The advent of digital printing not only hit the livelihood of the artists hard but also pushed the painting a vanishing art form.

The painting profession that flourished through the times started to slide from the beginning of the New Millennium with cheap and quick fixes like flex boards and vinyl prints becoming popular. By mid-2000s, the advancement in digital printing completely eclipsed the hand painting rendering hundreds of artists in undivided Warangal district jobless.

This apart, the ban imposed by the Election Commission in 2014 has also come like a huge blow for those engaged in the profession as this was the time where they could earn a few bucks by writing banners and hoardings used for campaigning.

Some of the famous painting houses - Reddy Arts, Kinnera Arts, etc. have also gone into oblivion. Travesty is such that Kinnera Arts Ramesh whose hands that held painting brush for years went on to operate an auto trolley in search of livelihood.

The fate of G Niranjan of Mahi Arts is no different. After closing his shop, he roamed around the State painting commercials on walls. Likewise, 500-and-odd artists in Warangal district chose different professions and languishing in penury. Majority of them turned into daily wage labourers engaged in house painting work.

Against this backdrop, the mural painting project, aimed at beautifying the tri-cities of Warangal, Hanamkonda and Kazipet, taken up by the Warangal Urban District administration has come like short in the arm for those artisans thirsty of showing their painting skills.

Speaking to The Hans India, Kinnera Ramesh, who is also the president of Ekasila Creative Artists Association, said: “The ongoing wall painting project is of immense help to 30-odd artists like me. Moreover, the paintings give us the exposure that every artist longs for. Although, the ban on use of flex-made banners and hoardings is in place, we are not getting as much work as we desired.”

G Niranjan urged the government to use their services in the making of banners and hoardings that herald the development and welfare schemes. “Though many an artist actively participated in the Telangana Movement by drawing the pictures of martyrs who laid down their lives for the cause, it was unfortunate that none of us benefited by the jobs provided by the Department of Culture,” he said.Meanwhile, braving the scorching sun, 30-odd artists from Warangal and groups from Hyderabad, Karimnagar and Khammam have got down to wall painting project. The wall painting project on rail over bridges near Fathima Nagar, Hunter road (Khammam Bypass) and Kadipikonda, Madikonda and Adalat centre is in full swing.

Warangal Urban District Collector Amrapali Kata who handpicked the themes of painting is keen to beautify the city. The selection of distinct themes of paintings indicates that she is a connoisseur to core.

Cherial scroll paintings for the Mahila Pranganam building in Kadipikonda, Rakshana for Police Training Centre in Madikonda, education and technology on educational institution buildings, Medaram jatara, forests, temple and tanks on Mulugu road and rural folk related themes on Warangal road have been selected.

The mural painting depicting Kakatiya dynasty and its culture and tradition will be taken up on the compound walls of Kakatiya University in a couple of days, it’s learnt. The Collector is keen to complete the paintings by April 22.