Laxman Aelay

Born in Kadirenigudem, Telangana, Laxman is renowned for having created the logo of the state of Telangana, containing unique imagery representing the culture of the region. Laxman muse and inspiration has been the lives of poverty stricken people from his village. His work is marked by hyperrealism and most often takes the form of monochromes.

Laxman Aelay, like the mythical Eklavya, learnt the art of drawing a straight line from observing a signboard artist called Gopi in Bhongir when he was in Class X. He then moved to Hyderabad and started his career as a signboard artist. He then joined Eenadu newspaper. He is also an illustrator of books. He also designed posters for the movie, Rangeela and subsequently, worked as the Ad Designer for the Telugu film Deyyam. His paintings called Yaadi and Malli he showcased the traditions of the Telangana region through the paintings of women of the place.

His watershed year was 1999, in which he had a solo show titled Images of Kadirenigudem which established him as a critically acclaimed artist. At an exhibition in 2006, he created painting using images captured in Kadirenigudem in Nalgonda, sketching on the prints or blending and smudging in Photoshop.