Thota Vaikuntam (B.1942) born in Boorugupali, Andhra Pradesh, Thota Vaikuntam completed a Diploma in Painting at the College of Fine Arts and Architecture, Hyderabad, in 1970, and then another in Painting and Printmaking from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, in 1972. He held his first solo exhibition at the Kala Bhavan in Hyderabad in 1973, and since then has had regular shows at various galleries in Hyderabad, Bangalore, New Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. Among his several honours are the National Award for Painting, which Vaikuntam received in 1993, and the Biennale Award from Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, which he received in 1988-89. The artist lives and works in Hyderabad.

BIODATA

Vaikuntam obtained his Diploma in painting from the College Of Fine Arts, Hyderabad and then won the State Lalit Kala Academi's Fellowship to study printmaking and painting at M.S.University, Baroda. He has been teaching at BAL Bhavan, Hyderabad for several years.

He won the National Award, 1993, Hyderabad Arts Society award in 1973 and Bharat Bhavan Biennale award in 1988. He participated in many exhibitions in Hyderabad 1972-90, VII Triennale, India 1991, Art Encounter, Kassel, Germany 1999, Asprey's auction for helpage 1993, Chamatkara at London and many shows at Madras and Calcutta. 

He lives and works in Hyderabad.

Exhibitions

'Memoire du passé 1979-1999', Latitude 28, New Delhi
'Metamorphosis: The Changing World of Thota Vaikuntam', Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi
'Saffron.Vermilion.Turmeric', Indigo Blue Art, Singapore 2009-2010: Vermilion.Turmeric', Indigo Blue Art, Singapore
'Figure/Landscape: Part One', Aicon Gallery, New York
'The Living Insignia', Gallery Ensign, New Delhi
'Modern Folk: The Folk Art Roots of the Modernist Avant-Garde', Aicon Gallery, New York 
'Black is Beautiful', India Fine Art, Mumbai 2008
'Post Independence Masters', Aicon Gallery, New York, NY 
'Freedom 2008 : Sixty Years After Indian Independence’, Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata, India 
‘Pravah’, Art Pilgrim, New Delhi, India 2007
‘Serigraphs’, Presented by Archer Graphic Studio at Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai, India 
‘The Workshop’, India Fine Art, Mumbai,India 
‘Yes, I am He’, organized by India Fine Art, India Fine Art, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai , India
‘Telangana: Inheritance of a Dream Lost’, Art Alive, New Delhi, India 
17th Anniversary Show, Gallery Sanskriti, Kolkata, India 
‘Summer Show 2007’, Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata, India 2006
‘CIMA Annual 2006’, Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata, India 
‘Mukham’, Sanskriti Art Gallery, Kolkata, India 
Opening Show, India Fine Art, Mumbai, India 
‘6 Artists Show’, 1 x 1 Gallery, Dubai, India 
Opening Show, Arts Pilgrim, London, UK2005
‘Evoking Rasa in Luminous Visions - Indian Art’, Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA 
‘Telangana Men and Women’, Arts India, CA 
'Naupu Telupu’, India Fine Art, Mumbai, India 
‘Retrospective Show’, Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi, London, UK 
‘Divine Inspiration’, India Fine Art, Mumbai, India 2004
‘Confluence’, Arts India, CA 
Kuhu Art Gallery, London, UK 2003
‘Larger Than Life – Vaikuntam’s Women’, Arts India, New York and The Guild, Mumbai, India
‘Portraits’, Guild Art Gallery, Mumbai, India
‘Faces’, Art Alive, New Delhi, India 
Kuhu Art Gallery, London, UK 
‘Hyderabad with Love’, India Fine Art, Hyderabad, Mumbai, India 2002
‘Tradition and Change’, Arts India, New York, NY 2001
‘A Panorama of Indian Contemporary Art’, Art Circle, The Guild
‘Memories of Telangana’, Sama, New Delhi, India 2000
‘Mother’, Guild Art Gallery, Mumbai, India 
Dubai / Creative 2000 

Faces Design Art, Dubai 
‘Ignition’, Crimson Art Gallery, Mumbai, India 
‘Mask’, Dhoomimal Art Gallery, New Delhi, India 1999
Sans Tache, Mumbai, India 
Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Mumbai, India 
Gallery Ganesha, New Delhi, India 
Gallery 678, New York, NY 1998
‘My Telangana Images’, Mumbai, India 
‘Vision and Response’, Renaissance, Bangalore
Group Show in Singapore 
‘Tempera’, Art Today, New Delhi, India 
Gallery Ganesha, New Delhi, India 
Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Mumbai, India 1997
Gallery Ganesha, New Delhi, India 
New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, India 
Crimson Gallery, Bangalore, India 1996
Surya Gallery, Hyderabad, India
The Guild Art Gallery, Mumbai, India 
‘Chamatkara – Myth and Magic in Indian Art’, Whitley’s Art Gallery, London, UK 1995
Art for CRY, Mumbai, India
Gallery Ganesha, New Delhi, India 
Gallerie 88, Kolkata, India 
Autumn Exhibition, All India Fine Art and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi, India 
Surya Gallery, Hyderabad, India 
‘Woman’, organized by The Gallery, Singapore, Hong Kong, China 
6th Anniversary Exhibition, Gallery Ganesha, New Delhi, India 
I.T.C . Welcome Group, Hyderabad, India (solo) 
‘Contemporary Miniatures’, Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA) Gallery, Kolkata, India 
‘Art in Miniature Form’, Renaissance, Bangalore, India 1994
Gallery Ganesha, New Delhi, India 
‘India Encounter II’, Lee Arthur Studio, New York, NY
Surya Gallery, Hyderabad and Gallerie 88, Kolkata, India
1st Anniversary Exhibition, Surya Gallery, Hyderabad, India 1993
Anniversary Exhibition, Gallery 88, Kolkata, India 
Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, India 
Summer Show, The Gallery, Chennai, India 
Birla Academy of Art and Culture Silver Jubilee Exhibition, Mumbai, India 
Wide Angle’, Sarla Art Centre, Bangalore, India 1992
Sansriti Art Gallery, Kolkata, India 
Summer Show, Hyderabad, India 
Help Age India, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India 
Art Encounter, Kessel, India 
Gallerie 88, Bangalore, India 
Shraddha Saharpan, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India 
Gallery Kufa, London, UK
Kessel, Chennai and Mumbai, India 1991
Gallery Espace, New Delhi, India 
‘Images of Rural India’, Max Mueller Bhavan, Hyderabad, India 
‘The Collectors Choice’, Society for Promotion of Art, Hyderabad, India 

Gallery Espace, New Delhi, India  7th Triennale, India 1990
Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai, India 
‘Five Artists’, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute and CCMB Science Institute, Hyderabad, India 
Sarla Art Gallery, Bangalore, India 
The Gallery, Chennai, India 1989
Max Mueller Bhavan, Hyderabad, India 
Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, India 
Max Mueller Bhavan, Hyderabad and Grindlays Bank Gallery, Chennai, India 
Biennale, Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, India  1985
Show of Drawings, Kala Bhavan, Hyderabad, India 1982
Hyderabad Art Society, Hyderabad, India 1980

Exhibition of Charcoal Drawings on Mother Series, Kala Bhavan, Hyderabad, India 1978
Exhibition of Ink and Wash drawings, Kala Bhavan, Hyderabad, India 
Exhibition of Prints, Alliance Francaise, Bangalore, India 1977
Ink Drawings, Kala Bhavan, Hyderabad, India 1974
One-Man Show of Small Drawings, Hyderabad Art Society, Hyderabad, India 1972
Kala Bhavan, Hyderabad, India