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Dr Sivananda Nyayapathi pays tribute to simple pleasures of life at solo exhibition

BY VEENA RAO

Atlanta, GA: Atlanta artist Dr Sivananda Nyayapathi had a solo exhibition of his paintings at the Ventulett Gallery in Atlanta through March. Titled ‘Of Beauty and Nature, Simple Pleasures of Life’ the exhibition showcased a beautiful range of landscape paintings, still lifes and portraits from the artist’s collection.

Visitors to the gallery were blown away with the fine details, simple realism and skillful interplay of color, tone and perspective in the paintings. Speaking to this reporter, Dr Nyayapathi said the show was his attempt to capture the beauty of nature – the simple pleasures that are given to us free.

“We are surrounded by the beauty of nature every day. Beautiful sunrises, colorful sunsets, majestic trees, the vast sea or the small streams.  The landscape paintings in the show are my feeble attempts to capture that beauty,” he said. “While everything in nature is the creation of God, still life paintings are the way artists attempt to emulate creativity.  Most of my still lifes show fruits because I love them.   I love to place still life settings in dramatic light and shadow.”

The portrait collection at the exhibition included paintings and sketches of famous personalities like Mother Theresa and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, and friends of the artist. “Humans have two eyes, a nose, a mouth, two ears, two hands, two legs and a torso – but with such vast variations of beauty.  I love the challenge of capturing the personality of people,” Dr Nyayapathi said.

Born into an artistic family, as a child, Dr Nyayapathi used to watch, for hours together, while his father, Nyayapathi Sri Venkateswara Row, (who was a painter, writer, dramatist and a singer)  painted. That was the inspiration that led him also to art. He has been winning awards since he was 12 years old.

During his undergraduate studies at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, he had got the opportunity to work with oils, which was mostly self-taught from various books. Siva won awards for his artwork and represented IIT in inter IIT competitions. He had also painted huge backdrops for the stage productions during his college days. He had received special award for his outstanding contribution to art during his stay at IIT.

Dr Nyayapathi and his family moved to Atlanta in 1996. Though already an award winning artist, being desirous of learning the techniques of the old masters, he had learnt for over four years from Chris DiDomizio’s atelier. He had also learnt portraiture from International Masters like Daniel Greene, Burton Silverman, David Leffel, Michael Shane Neal, Jim Schell and Nancy Honea.

Dr Nyayapathi is a juried member of the Portrait Society of Atlanta (PSA), a signature member of the Atlanta Fine Arts League, and an associate member of the Oil Painters of America. He had also served the PSA as a member of the board of directors for two years. He is juried to be included in the International Contemporary Masters Vol. V for 2011. He has exhibited in many one man and group shows in the USA.

He has also been teaching art for the past many years.

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