Laxma Goud’s visual language is at once accessible and provocative. His inclination towards the erotic is fuelled by an impulse to normalise it. He transforms the controversial into the quotidian in a manner which does not diminish it, rather adds dimension to it. His interpretations of the rural and village life is introspective and resists classification. By the means of pen and paper, often all he had access to as a struggling young artist, he touches upon provocative themes which were a challenge to articulate and question sixty years ago.
Kalal Laxma Goud, born on August 21, 1940, in Nizampur, Telangana, is an acclaimed Indian artist renowned for his work in various media such as etching, gouache, pastel, sculpture, and glass painting. Overcoming challenges, he earned a diploma in painting from the Government College of Art and Architecture in Hyderabad. His time in Baroda, in the early 1960s, introduced him to contemporary art and traditional fresco techniques, shaping his artistic perspective. Returning to his village, Goud found inspiration in his roots, particularly in the depiction of eroticism, reflecting an earthiness which has stayed a consistent element of his work.
Goud's works are prominently featured in the Chester and Davida Herwitz Collection, a significant repository of Indian art. The Herwitzes consistently collected Indian art starting in 1960s. The works of Laxma Goud in this exhibition are amongs their earliest acquisitions. In 1994, the Herwitzes established the Chester and Davida Herwitz Charitable Trust to support Indian art in the United States. They endowed the Herwitz Gallery dedicated to South Asian art at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA, which opened in 2003. The works in this exhibition come to Aicon Contemporary directly from the Herwitz Collection.
This online exhibition runs from July 24th to August 31, 2024. The works may be seen in person, by appointment, at Aicon Contemporary, 35 Great Jones Street, New York. Gallery hours Tuesday through Saturday, 10AM-6PM.
For inquiries or to schedule an appointment, contact Aleah Zerance (aleah@aicongallery.com)