Laxma Goud

Kalal Laxma Goud, an Indian artist, is renowned for his work as a painter, printmaker, and draughtsman, utilizing various mediums such as etching, gouache, pastel, sculpture, and glass painting. Born on August 21, 1940, in Nizampur, Medak district, Telangana, Goud hails from a family of toddy-brewers, K. Venka Goud and Anthamma Laxma Goud. Despite encouragement for further studies, his poor matriculation performance limited his options in humanities or science, leading him to pursue art at the Government College of Art and Architecture, Hyderabad, where he earned a diploma in painting after five years. In 1963, he moved to Baroda, where he was introduced to contemporary art while studying traditional fresco techniques. It was there he recognized ‘basic problems in life and art as an individual,’ prompting a return to his village where he found what he had missed during his education. Goud is noted for his portrayal of eroticism in his early drawings, a theme consistently present since the 1970s. His fascination with the erotic stems from his village life, where his response to such experiences is particularly acute and vivid.