YASALA BALAIAH

Born in 1939 in Ibrahimpur, Andhra Pradesh. He taught painting for several years and was awarded the National Award for Teachers, by the President of India in 1994. He has participated in several exhibitions and won several awards. Yasala Balaiah is a storyteller at heart. Balaiah’s paintings of the Telangana people are drawn from the beautiful rural backdrop of his native milieu. Balaiah is well known for his depiction of the Telangana folk. He started of his career evolving his Batik painting style which earned him the name ‘Batik Balaiah’. Drawing from his deep personal experiences of the tribesmen of his native Telengana state, he developed a signature style in Batik painting using bold but dark colours. His son carries on the Batik tradition. He lives and works in Hyderabad