K. Laxma Goud

Laxma Goud was born in Nizampur, Andhra Pradesh in 1940. He was inspired by Andhra leather puppetry and the creation of terracotta ornamentation. He graduated with a diploma in drawing from the College of Art and Architecture, Hyderabad after which he studied at the Department of Fine Arts at M S University Baroda from 1963 to 1965 where he learnt under K G Subramanyan and was exposed to printmaking and mural painting.

Goud worked on a variety of mediums like etching, gouache, pastel, sculpture and glass painting. By the late 1960’s he had developed a rustic style of his own. In the 70’s he changed his medium to acquaint. His portraits of men and women represent the dynamic Indian ethos rather than particular individual identities. A recurrent theme with the artist is that of the erotic, treated as an active and powerful aspect of male and female sexuality and existence. Goud’s work is dramatic; his protagonists are raw and vivacious in their appeal, imbibed with energy that reverberates through his strokes and textures. Most of Goud’s art is centered on the rural, recreating landscapes from his childhood as if they were frozen in time. By the 1980s the artist seemed to return to more traditional roots, exploring various craft forms such as terracotta and reverse glass painting. His figures turn softer, more introspective than brash in their outlook. 

The Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri in 2016. Goud is the head of Sarojini Naidu School of Performing Art, Fine Art & Communication, University of Hyderabad. He lives and works in Hyderabad.