Bholekar Srihari

Bholekar Srihari was a renowned artist from Telangana, India, who excelled in painting, sculpture, printmaking and murals. He was born in a small village called Bollakpalli, on the banks of river Manjeera, in the Kamareddy district of Telangana. He belonged to the Patlolla family where he was also known as Patlolla Srihari. He got his name Bholekar when it was recorded by Marathi-based institutions where he initially studied. This is due to the practice of the people of Maharashtra of adding the '-Kar' suffix to one's villaga community and keeping it as a surname. He obtained his diploma in drawing and painting from the Sir J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, in 1961 and later graduated from Osmania University. He continued painting, winning several awards, participating in several state and national exhibitions, and organising art activities. He also worked as the Chief Artist at Indian Air Force at Begumpet and in 1996 he was honoured with Commendation by A.O.C – in – C.H.Q.T.C Indian Air Force. He participated in several group and one-man shows in Portugal, Italy, Macedonia, Poland, Germany, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore Chennai, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Amritsar, Raipur, Baroda and took part in Art Conference National Academy of Fine Arts, International Arts Conference Lalit Kala Academy 3rd Triennale, New Delhi World Telugu Conference and Artiste Conference A.P. State Lalit Kala Academy Hyderabad. He also received the National Award from Lalit Kala Akademi in 2004 and the Senior Fellowship Visual Art Graphics from Ministry of Culture in 2005-07. He was honoured as one of the Veteran Artists of India in New Delhi in 2003. Bholekar's art was influenced by his rural upbringing and his love for Telangana's culture, customs and traditions. He set his paintings of rural life in a modern style by powerful imageries with an unusual and unique background setup. Most of his subjects portray not only the life of Telangana and its difficulties, plights, misfortunes and predicaments but also abstracts and international level art-works. The Art of Bholekar brings the significant emotional, cultural and cognitive evaluations of nature of life. Bholekar attributed his free-spirited nature to the village life he grew up in. Till 10 years I enjoyed the village life. Art has not developed because of it but its influence is still there. The energy, the process and boldness in my works comes from village atmosphere. I had come through so many situations in early life; not hardships, but I enjoyed my life as a child. My parents did not allow me to go and play in the jungle, he said. He was married to Laxmi Bholekar and had no children. He died on August 23, 2018 due to cardiac arrest at Hyderabad.