Yasala Prakash’s art explores rural Telengana with contemporary batik

Yasala Prakash is experiencing a mix of emotions. Though thrilled that his new exhibition ‘Reflections of Telangana on Batik’ has opened at Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad, he misses his late father, the legendary batik artist Yasala Balaiah during this special moment.

Fondly called ‘Batik Balaiah’, Yasala, who passed away in December 2020 was known for his vibrant recreations of stories on Telangana rural life in batik. “I miss the lively discussions we used to have on themes, paintings and how we could modernise the art form to take it to youngsters. Maa naana chettu needalo memu perigaamu (My father was a huge tree under whose shade we grew),” says Prakash.

Explaining his fascination with batik, Prakash says, “Batik is unique in that it uses dye-resistant wax to create different patterns and designs.” Prakash’s last show was in 2018 at the ICCR Art Gallery. He began working on this current series of artworks in July 2021 with a focus on not just highlighting the rural life of Telangana but also showcasing its historic monuments. Now, around 35 works of 3×2 and 4×3 feet, presented by the State’s Department of Culture and Language, spread the buoyancy of batik in Ravindra Bharathi’s corridor.

Village life

The simplicity and beauty of village life come alive in Prakash’ works. A farmer playing the flute, a couple dancing and a woman dressed in her traditional best looking into a mirror depicts rural Telangana.

What stands out in the collection is Prakash’s series on horses. Unlike the traditional brown, red, yellow and black colours, the artist has experimented with shades of blue and white. “The theme is contemporary and is rarely tried in batik. We are used to doing sketches in village life so that comes easy for us but while experimenting with themes, we have to ensure the textures do not lose out on the batik beauty,” he says.

The artist, who works as an art teacher at Gurukulam Tribal Welfare School plans to explore the subject of horses in more works and eventually to hold a solo show on it. Meanwhele, he still follows his father’s mantra in life. “He used to tell us to work hard and not think of the outcome. The results might come later but perseverance and commitment to art are what matters.”

‘Reflections of Telangana on batik is on at Ravindra Bharati till February 14. The artworks are priced from ₹15.000 onwards.