About Magunta Dayakar
Magunta Dayakar, an acclaimed portrait painter, is also nationally known for his Lightscape Paintings. He was born in a village of Andhra Pradesh, India, 57 years ago.
His work has been praised by critiques who have compared it with Rembrandt's chiaroscuro and also with Turner and Manet's works. Allover the Globe his work is evoking curiosity in art circles. People have praised him for his style in painting . But he has always said, he never consciously thought of style. He believes style evolves on its own when the artist works continuously with involvement. A number of news papers and magazines published articles on his work.
And he is a successful novelist in Telugu with more than 35 novels to his credit. He has also written five books on art & creativity. He scripted, acted and directed two Telugu feature films also.
Magunta Dayakar started Creative Painting School 10 years ago. Till that day, an Art school meant a
place where drawing & painting were taught. In the West, some artists have been
conducting Art classes during the weekends to develop children's observation and
creativity. But there was no exclusive art school to develop children's observation,
concentration and thinking. Magunta Dayakar dared to do it without any financial
support. All he had was a strong will and sound knowledge in art, literature,
psychology and many other subjects. Finally he achieved his dream. Today Magunta
Dayakar Creative Painting School has become a notable subject, when people talk about
the Hyderabad city.
And two years back he started ' Academy of Painting ' for Ladies which he calls '' A new beginning for art education in India ''. It has also become success full. Now it entered into a new premises which is a beautiful work space for any art student. Establishing this kind of school is his dream. He achieved it.
And moreover he is having a very big dream. Read about that dream in his words...
This is the life I dreamed of...
Choosing some shapes whether they are realistic or abstract, and painting them with colors on canvas results in a piece of work or a painting. Choosing some shapes whether they are realistic or abstract and painting them through Value, Color, Design and Composition results in a work of Art. Western great masters mastered Value, Color, Design and Composition. But till this day no Indian has understood these elements properly.
But I have understood these and I have started to master these great elements of nature. Because I want to be the first Indian who mastered these elements like the Western great masters. I think I am very close to that great honor. To achieve this great honor I have started to write a series of books (some where 10 or 20 books) on Design & Composition. I am planning to write them in a different perspective. That perspective is ...to give a clear insight about Design & Composition to an art student or working artist. This is the life I dreamed of. Not any thing else.
-Magunta Dayakar |
Magunta Dayakar's books on art
Becoming an Artist
The world of my Lightscape paintings
Understanding Painting - What is the solution?
The Character of a Creator - Do you have it in you?
Conflicts of an Artist's mind
Some important collection
Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages pvt. Ltd.( Coca Cola and Indian Heritage Paintings for their New Delhi( Guargon ) Corporate Office )
Doon school old boys society
Spectra group
Don short family portrait (C E O - Cocacola India )
Rick Nicholson (C E O - Cocacola India)
and many more portraits and collections from India and abroad.
plus T V telecasts, articles on his paintings.
About Magunta Dayakar's Coca Cola and Indian Heritage Paintings
Read about these paintings in Dayakar's words...
When I got a call from Delhi Coca Cola corporate office to do paintings for their new office, I did not get excited. Because I had done a lot of paintings for them between 1992 to 1998. To me it is one more assignment. So I met them In Delhi office casually. But after a few hours every thing changed.
I understood that these works are going to be a great milestone in my artist career.
First thing, these paintings have to represent the heritage structures of four cities of the nation. Not only heritage structures, along with them they have to show the life surrounding those structures. And Coca Cola has to be a part of that life.
Subject itself is very difficult to work. You should express various walks of life. That life should not
be come static. Usually structures are static. The life surrounding them is full of energetic movement. When you paint both of them as one you have to coordinate them without losing their character. A difficult feet. Every brush stroke should be calculated and carefree.
More than this there are other problems. One is size and another is ' The place where the paintings are going to be displayed.'
These are the real problems.
Each painting size is 84 x 67 inches. When you are doing this size of paintings usually they look like banners or street hoardings. Results... they lose the realistic illusion feeling. They look artificial. This is one problem which has to be taken care of very carefully.
The second problem is more difficult than this. The problem is.... It's the place where they are going to display these paintings in their corporate office.
Here you are seeing the placement of paintings. The entire wall measurements is 350 inches x 98.5 inches or 8.85 x 2.50 Meters. The entire wall is covered by paintings and their frames.
Here lies the problem.
Because bottom of these paintings lies on the floor level. So when somebody enters the hall or some one sitting in the hall will see these paintings from their eye level. Usually this eye level is 3 ft. above the ground or even more. That's why paintings are usually arranged 3 ft above the ground.
Then what will happen?
They are not able to see the bottom part of the paintings in one look. They will see only middle and upper part of the paintings. Then they will lose their unified look. Then viewer won't feel the full impact of the paintings. Results... however well artist works it won't achieve desired effect.
These paintings are really a great challenge to any artist's knowledge of Design & Composition. I said so many times before that Design & Composition is the soul of painting.
When I understood this I tried to find solutions. Results... I invented some set of new rules in Design & Composition. After imposing these rules I achieved what I want. These paintings helped me
to enter into more unknown layers of science of art. That's why when people are seeing these painting,s they are feeling that they are in the actual location. This is art. What more an artist wants to achieve?
And I am grateful to the people of Coca Cola who helped me to visit all these Heritage places to know them, to experience them personally. Without their help these great paintings which give me pride could not be possible.
Painting-1
'Coca Cola is everywhere in India'.
The Coca Cola Products in India Map convey that Coca Cola is everywhere in India. The boys, one who looks like urban and another one from rural backgrounds, holding the Cricket Ball and Bat represents the Indian Cricket. And Coca Cola is also very much linked with Indian Criket.
(image will come later)
Painting - 2
' Coca Cola at Charminar, Hyderabad '
Charminar is a Great Monument and one of the landmarks of Indian Heritage. Usually it's a busy place. But there people want to live with calmness and peace like olden times. The visual of the Charminar in this painting expresses the inner desire of the people. The calmness and peace like olden times.
And just like everywhere else in India 'Coca Cola ' makes us feel its strong presence here also. The coke supply van is on the road. In left side corner there is a restaurant which sells only coke products. That restaurant crowded with people always.
Painting-3
'Coca Cola at India Gate, Delhi '
Delhi's India Gate is one of the heritage place in India. This is a place where people love to stroll leisurely to feel the atmosphere of historical times. No hurried crowd. Children, young woman, old couples, the young and middle aged men everybody is there. They are from all corners of the country and other places of the Globe. Coca Cola is also there. It seems , where ever people appears, coke also makes us feel its presence there. A small young boy who is standing beside Coke cart asking his mother to buy Coca Cola. The more interesting visual is the two rural women who are in the fore ground, looking at India gate. One of the women is holding the Coke bottle in her right hand.
Painting - 4
' Coca Cola at Victoria Memorial - Kolkatta '
Kolkatta is a crowded place. But the people here want to live peacefully. They are emotional. Poetic. This is birth place of Ravindranath Tagore who founded ' Shantiniketan '
What we are seeing in this painting is ' Victoria Memorial ', this is one of the great monuments in the city. We are seeing it from Mydan's side. Behind Victoria Memorial there is a Mydan which is also one of the historical places. Beside Mydan there is 'Fort Williams' another historical place which is now used as Military Cantonment. From that Cantonment, every evening military people ride on the horses in the Mydan. Tourists are also there. Like every where else Coca Cola makes its presence felt here. It tells us Coca Cola and India is inseparable. It has become a part of Indian People's lives.
Painting - 5
' Coca Cola at V.T. Station, Mumbai '
Mumbai- a busy city. We will see that atmosphere everywhere in the city. V.T. Station is one of the oldest buildings in Mumbai. There also we see that busy crowd movement and like everywhere in the country here also we see Coca Cola in every corner. Coke van is moving towards consumer points. Because in their busy moments these people like to drink Coca Cola. It makes them feel relaxing moments.
About my Lightscape paintings …
When I started painting, only one thing I dreamed of, that I wanted to mesmerize people
with my work, like the Old Masters. To achieve this dream I learned the science of
painting. After 30 years of continuous struggle and experimenting with many subjects, I
have achieved that dream through my lightscape paintings. In these lightscape
paintings, I am creating the nature in a dramatic light. To express this light more
dramatically, I have chosen the deep interiors of the forest as my visual backdrops.
From the combination of these two elements, a mystery comes out of these paintings.
This mystery mesmerizes people deep in their hearts. Most of the people whoever have
seen these paintings expressed that they felt, that some light entered into their soul.
To them it is a meditation, and a few moments of detachedness from the external world.
On Technique.....
I am using minimum tools to create these lightscape paintings. Two or three knives and
the same number of brushes. When you see these paintings closely they look like
abstract paintings. You could not see anything except mountains of acrylic paint. But
when you look at them from distance, you feel as if though you are at that location.
With their textures, color, light, they will absorb you completely. To you it is not a
painting anymore. It is the Nature, full of life created by God. Artist and God are
abstract. You could not understand them. Both create the things in an abstract way.
When you see the things created by God closely, You could not see them clearly. See a
person whom you think is beautiful at extreme close quarters, you began to feel
strange. You won't see them clearly. You see the same person from a little bit
distance, he will appear very clear to you. That is abstractness. God is a great
abstract artist. That's why many of the great artists paintings look abstract when you
see them closely. But they will appear very clear from distance. This is real abstract
work. My light paintings are abstract. My subject, my focal point everything is light.
Light is the energy. Energy is power. Power and creativity are one.
This is the character of these lightscape paintings. This character cannot be described
in words. When you see them you will experience it. This is what I dreamed of 30 years
ago.
On Portraits
When I do portraits I will go for movement in facial muscles. Movement represents
Energy. That Energy is the life. Color, Texture, Rhythm....everything follows it. So to
me doing a portrait is...not just about capturing the resemblance of the person.
It is more than that. Expressing their character with perfect resemblance is the essence of
my portrait painting.
I used to work portraits only from photos. If I get an opportunity to spend some time
with the subject of the portrait it will be more helpful to me. It will help me to
understand the character of the person or persons. Depends upon the situations usually
I will prefer to take photographs of the subject myself. I prefer as many photos as
possible. Sometimes I work from 100 or 200 photographs. I require 2-3 months time to
finish a portrait. I use oil or acrylic medium depending upon the subject. Or whatever
medium client prefers. When it comes to children's portraits, I love to paint their portraits in some playful mood or in some action whatever it may be. Then its possible for me to infuse life into
those portraits.
I have painted a good number of portraits. But I did not keep the images of them. Thats
here I am unable to put them . I am putting here whatever are available to me.
On General Subjects...
I do general paintings in two ways. One is on commission. Second is on my own. For
example see the paintings Garden Restaurant,Ganesh festival or Coca Cola and Indian Heritage Paintings. Those paintings were done on commission. Those subjects were connected to the client's business. After taking hundreds of photos of those subjects I worked on them.
Otherwise I usually work whatever subjects I like to do.
