Renowned artist Thota Vaikuntam’s paintings capture the daily life of the village folk of Burugupalli, Andhra Pradesh. Peopled by vibrantly dressed village folk, animals, and gods, these colourful large-format artworks depict the vitality and beauty in the lives of regular villagers. The figures on the canvas merge into each other, creating a sense of harmony and community. Thota Vaikuntam: A Celebration honours some of the most significant works of the artist till date. Taken together, the paintings in the book help us appreciate Vaikuntam’s extraordinary ability as a painter, the richness of his colour palette, and his genius at capturing the lives of the people of the great Indian hinterland. About the Author Thota Vaikuntam (b. 1942) grew up in Burugupalli, a village in the Karimnagar district in Andhra Pradesh. Vaikuntam started his career working with charcoal and conte on paper, before moving on to the acrylic canvases painted in primary colours he is known for today. His most recent medium of choice is bronze sculpture with patina. Vaikuntam is known for his depictions of the people of his village, and the focal points of his creations are often strong women—mother figures created in homage to his mother, Satyamma, his greatest artistic inspiration. He has held many solo exhibitions in India and abroad from 1973 to the present. The acclaimed artist has won many awards, including the National Award for art direction for the movie Daasi in 1989 and the National Award for painting in 1993. He lives in Hyderabad.