Nestled within the bustling city of Hyderabad, a unique art exhibition titled “Abodes of Admiration” subtly beckons admirers of art and nostalgia alike. The solo show is the handiwork of Anand Saastry, a 61-year-old artist who draws his inspiration from the humble clay roof tiles of village houses that characterized his childhood in Velpucherla near Eluru, Andhra Pradesh. On display at the State Art Gallery, Saastry’s collection of 36 mixed media works serves as a homage to the distinctive architecture, meticulous urban planning, and the indigenous knowledge of carpenters who have skillfully erected these traditional row houses.
“The painting is like the entrance of a main door, one has to walk past the door to explore it,” expresses Saastry while gesturing towards the fragmented features that populate his creations. Through an aerial perspective, his pieces distort space, depicting rooftop mazes, intertwined pathways, and verandas, an old house’s winding stairways, or even a bus and tractor wending their way through village roads. The careful geometry and criss-cross patterns within his images don’t just draw the observer in but generate a symphony of visual harmony.
“I perceive my work as a creation of visual dissonance with which I intend to evoke emotions in my viewers,” explains Anand, who approaches his art from dual perspectives: analytical, which is rooted in objectivity, and synthetic, stemming from subjectivity. This approach has been a signpost of Anand’s journey as both a banker, having retired from the State Bank of India in 2021, and an artist. Beyond formal training, Anand’s formative influences span the gamut from daily observations, literature, and dialogues with other thought leaders, all amalgamating to help him carve out his unique artistic language.
In an interesting paradox, Anand underscores the importance of unlearning in the journey to explore new horizons. Reflecting on his strengths, he says, “My strong points are perspective, geometry and tile house structures but I unlearned them to explore my potential.” His engagement with watercolors and landscape depictions underscore a contemplative evolution, “I didn’t deviate from the tiled house pattern but reflected on an object and its space from a higher perspective.”
It was in 2006 that Anand’s affection for the tile-roofed abodes of his village found resonance in Hyderabad. On his drives to drop his daughter to college, he witnessed the evolving landscapes of neighboring villages such as Narsingi, Puppalaguda, and Manikonda. Sketching the village houses he admired, Anand recalls, “The tiled houses in a village are built by carpenters who are not formally educated yet their structures are precise, designed, and beautiful. I grew up in such a house, and now I was seeing rapid changes here in the city. It made me wonder if I could create a body of work bridging these two worlds.”
Eternally driven by a passion for learning, his life serves as a testament that it’s never too late. Remarkably, he pursued a postgraduate degree in Visual Arts from Mysore University at 45 and conquered learning Sanskrit at 55. “Content is what matters,” Anand insists. In the realm of his art, it isn’t merely technique or subject that captivates; rather, it’s the depth of content that enthralls his audience.
Viewers can experience Anand Saastry’s unique artistic tribute to the vernacular architectural legacy through his exhibition “Abodes of Admiration” at the State Art Gallery in Kavuri Hills from February 2 to February 6, offering a window into a world where tradition and transformation meet on the canvas of memory.
