Ravinder Reddy Born in 1956, Andhra Pradesh, India The first thing that was noticed about G. Ravinder Reddy’s sculptures are the eyes. They are wide-eyed, bold and sensual. The second is a sense of familiarity. These aren’t mythical creatures. They are • The women who sell fish and vegetables. • Students going to college. • A woman on her way to work. Reddy is a simple, unassuming man who is rooted in culture and tradition, yet is willing to bridge a gap that makes it relevant to modern times. His life-sized works are usually carved out in bronze, terracotta or fiberglass. The materials are chosen according to the scale and the artist presents contemporary with a dash of tradition. At this point in his career, Reddy has the urge to blow up his work in size and scale, and fragility of terracotta would not allow for that. Bronze would be too expensive and cumbersome to work with. His search for an alternate material finally led to fiber glass and eventually, the head sculptures. Reddy’s exhibitions are few and far between given that sculpture-making is a tedious, time-consuming process and that most galleries here in India are not equipped to accommodate the mammoth heads and bodies he creates. Nevertheless, the artist continues to chart his own journey. Reddy’s monumental head sculptures, particularly their features are instantly captivating. Though they lack full bodies including a monumental bust called ‘Devi’ that’s now a part of the tech park’s permanent collection. Reddy would portray whatever would strike him, For Instance.” Take his piece, Girl with Umbrella, a 1981 fiber glass sculpture”. It depicts a woman in motion as she places one foot in front of the other. Her eyes are masked by sunglasses and a folded umbrella dangles from her hand. That image, inspired by the people of Mumbai, was significant to him. Reddy’s more recent work possibly turned into his most recognizable. Stroll into The Bay at RMZ Eco world and you’ll come face to face with the 15-feet gold-skinned Devi, one of his monumental busts. With the sculpture, he emulates the south Indian woman as he sees her — her jet-black hair covered with jasmine buds and crimson red flowers, her nose and ears adorned with jewelry. Reddy’s recognition as one of India’s top artists also turned him into one of its most expensive. His head sculptures grew in popularity around 2007 in the East, particularly China. Bold Scale and Style Seeing the arc of Reddy’s work from student to present day offers a glimpse into the artist’s change in sensibility, in terms of the material he uses and his perception of women. At this point in his career, Reddy had the urge to blow up his work in size and scale, and fragility of terracotta would not allow for that. Bronze would be too expensive and cumbersome to work with. His search for an alternate material finally led to fiberglass and eventually, the head sculptures. Reddy is a simple, unassuming man who is rooted in culture and tradition, yet is willing to bridge a gap that makes it relevant to modern times.