A common person just passes through life noticing or un-noticing many events, whereas a Philosopher spends his lifetime searching and probing into every event or happenings in his life. Similarly, an artist who responds to the light and dark, beauty and ugly, calm and sound will be remembered for generations to come.
Mr. Damerla Rama Rao should be given the credit for having carried the glory of Andhrites painting and artistic skills to the world’s panoramic and critic views.
Mr. Rama Rao was born to Physician Dr. Damerla Venkata Rama Rao and Lakshmi Devi as a second child in the group of five girls and four boys. He was born on March 8, 1897 at Rajahmundry.
Since childhood, he was intensely inclined towards the art of painting and sketching which stalled his academic career at 10th class itself. Later in 1916, with his father’s co-operation, Mr Rao went to Sisil N. Burns who was the then Dean of arts in Mumbai School of Arts. The sketches of a untrained, unexposed Rama Rao surprised and impressed the Dean which resulted into his admission directly into the third year of fine arts course, which is a great achievement during his times.
Rao was married to an eleven year girl Satya Vani in 1919 and in the year 1920 he completed his arts course with flying distinction. The wish to live according to his own wishes and fancies compelled Rama Rao forego an offer to function as vice-principal to the prestigious Lucknow School of Fine Arts.
On request, when he sent two of his paintings, Rushya Srunga Bhangam and Turpu Kanumallo Godavari to the exhibition organised by Oriental Society, Viceroy of India award was conferred to Rama Rao for his former painting and the later was purchased by the then Viceroy Lord Reeding. Even this was an exceptionally astonishing performance for an Andhrite painter during those days.
Rao travelled through various locations in the country and in 1922 he settled in Rajahmundry. He instituted an organisation Andhra Society of Indian Arts and continued with his effort to bring the best out of him. Satya Vani, his spouse extended maximum cooperation that is reflected in Rao’s paintings, showing looks of his wife.
He organised a national level exhibition in Rajahmundry under his Society banner, for the first time in the region.
On February 6, 1925 Rama Rao took his last breath a day after the couple returned from the Tirupati pilgrimage. In an attempt to carry over the famous painter’s works to the next generations, Rao’s associate Varada Venkata Rathnam established an art gallery in the name of Satya Vani, which was inaugurated by Durga Bhai Desh Mukh in 1957. On June 17, 1977 the then Andhra Pradesh Cultural Affairs minister Bhattam Sri Ram Murthy laid a foundation stone proposing for construction of a new building for the gallery, which unfortunately did not materialise even today.
