Artifacts in the gallery Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Two days before the launch of his solo show Present Paradox, artist Sanyam Bharat Yadav is feeling relieved. As he looks at his large-scale artworks and sculptures made of wood and bronze at Chitramayee, Hyderabad’s State Gallery of Art, he says he has been working on this show for five years. This place also fills him with the warmth of old memories. After working as a gallery assistant in 2006, Chitramoyee reminisces and helps trace her artistic evolution over two decades.
Artist Sayam Bharat with senior artist Thota Vaikuntam in the show. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Displayed across the gallery’s four halls, the 25 exhibitions reflect the contradictions of our times through a contemporary lens. Balance, the first exhibition, is an abstract piece of teak wood with bronze, gold foil and natural colours. A six feet wooden pole attached to an abandoned bullock cart represents the imbalance and changing urban life. “Trees are being cut down and our cities are expanding rapidly. This imbalance leads to the destruction of lung spaces and natural habitats,” says the artist.
The Rise, an artwork displayed in the gallery. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Rise, a mixed media work, is bursting with color. “It’s like watching a boom,” says the artist, holding the 9X16 feet canvas. The collage work, which also uses rice papers, is inspired by events around us, including the crisis in Gaza. Look closely and the rice paper breaks down the pattern of this vibrant and dynamic composition. “This work is positive, as we hope to see light at the end of the tunnel.”
Known for blending human forms with animal heads/tentacles, the artist reflects on the changes he observed in rural areas in his next work. The 5X16 feet canvas depicts a group of human figures with animal heads, dressed in traditional clothes with stylish accessories, and a fruit vendor holding a UPI code.
bond with nature
An artwork displayed in the gallery. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Bharat, who hails from a farming community, has a deep connection with nature and has explored this bond with wood and brass forms. From the use of found objects, from pieces of wood from old farming tools to an abandoned ancestral bullock cart… the exhibitions have many stories to tell.
“Growth is a part of an artist’s evolution, but it is not easy to create in a new medium unless one finds a connection. It is about communicating in a new visual language,” explains Bharat, who has been collecting discarded wood for three years.
Artworks displayed in the gallery. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Bharat’s art is also personal and grounded. For example, the recurring symbol of the milk can in artworks makes them nostalgic. “I belong to the community of shepherds; my mother used to sell milk and was associated with these coaches. People may see the coaches as a livelihood item, but for me, it is an important part of my childhood and roots.”
The Migration series is loved by all those who have made Hyderabad their home. Mohalla, a sculptural piece made of teak wood, uses geometric blocks to depict a neighborhood with its distinct culture and old-world charm. “I love the rustic feel of the city and the mosaic of faiths here, a temple here and a mosque there.”
(The Present Paradox by Sayam Bharat Yadav is on view at Chitramayee, State Gallery of Art, Madhapur, Hyderabad till March 1)
published – February 24, 2026 11:56 am IST