April 7, 1925 - August 20, 2012

Kapu Rajaiah has mastered the technique of suggesting the universal by stressing the particular. The style is the man. Yes, indeed it is. To understand the art of Rajaiah, one must first of all understand his temperament and personality which are the products of his triumphs and tragedies in fields unconnected with his artistic activities. That is: What sort of man is he to produce the kind of art he does? This question is important. Rajaiah is a very uncomplicated person like his own art which is neither too original nor too derivative. It is just the sort of art that comes naturally to him: He produces it with empathy, elegance and élan, because, to him at any rate, it embodies a treasure chest of beliefs, values and ideals which he cherishes more than any cliché or formula discarded by the West. There is nothing modish or militant about him. What endears him to his admirers, who are many, is his openness which is rooted in his feelings for the soil where he belongs. He was as ordinary as the common clay, which is excellent material for creating fabulous works of art.