Sai Kiran Dhanalakota
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About
Sai Kiran, a 27-year-old artist, is credited with carrying on the history of the Dhanalakota family, the last practising family for Cheriyal Scroll painting. A 160-year-old Cheriyal scroll painted by his great-great grandpa is also on display in a museum in Paris, providing insight into his family's past. With the market for Cheriyal scrolls decreasing, his parents advised him to study rather than pursue painting, but Sai Kiran obtained a degree in fine arts to acquire new art techniques to modernise and make his work relevant in today's times. He wishes the Cheriyal scroll painters knew more about the stories they are painting, because the storytellers for these paintings are autonomous and add their own colour to the stories, but he makes an attempt to study these stories, and his personal favourite is Gaurapuranama's, about Toddy Tappers (Wine tappers). 'We replace our phones every year, our phone covers every two months, change is such a constant, therefore our work needs to stay up with it and adapt,' Sai Kiran says.
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