REDDEPPA NAIDU - ( b. 1932 - 1999 ) He trained at the Government College of Arts & Crafts, Madras. He held his first one-man show in 1958. He has exhibited in India and abroad and participated in the Biennale at Paris, 1965, Sao Paulo, 1969, the Kala Yatra Exhibitiion, London, 1972 and other group shows. He received the Lalit Kala Akademi Awards, New Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Madras between 1962 -1971. He received the first prize at the All India Art Exhibition, Ernakulum, 1986. His works are in collections in India and abroad. "In his Deity Series of paintings.... Reddappa (sic) Naidu brought to a height a fine figurative style. The nervous line of his drawing - light, uneven, done with a dry brush which became almost characteristic of this painter, would not penetrate, cut or divide. Neither would it take on some profusion of emotion and strain and fray. It moved quietly, instead making up extremely fragile states of stillness and wholeness". Josef James, "Reddappa (sic) Naidu" LKC 22(Sept 1976) In his own words "I often wonder who I am - from where I came and to where I will return. I seem to belong to this country and its culture, for my mind often returns to those young days when I used to collect pink and white water Lillies from a pond near our Ashram for the Ganesha pooja year after year in my village. Ganesha as a form is inexhaustible and it requires a whole life time of involvement in various mediums and aspects. ExC Antah Karan, Mumbai, 1998. Linear patterns, indicative of a pan - natural throb of life applied to symbolic, iconic and ornamental forms. Under the hand of Reddappa Naidu it acquires a Yet more decorative character in his elegant, and obvious divine images. Reddappa Naidu has brought to a height his fine figurative style - the nervous line of his drawing, light, uneven, done with a dry brush which has become almost characteristic of him; not penetrated, cut or divided; not profusely emotional, strained or frayed. It moves quietly making up extremely fragile states of stillness and wholeness. From the Durga series, through The Mahabhartha, The Ramayana, The Musicians to the S'akuntala' paintings, the interaction between the artist and the cumulative Indian consciousness has been a deepening, intensifying process.