Madhu Gopal Rao Rama

Rooted in the traditions of a weavers’ community and raised in the industrial surroundings of Azam Jahi Mills, Warangal, Madhu Gopal Rao grew up immersed in two visual worlds, the intricate patterns of handwoven textiles and the geometric order of factory life. These formative environments instilled in him an enduring sensitivity to rhythm, structure, and texture. He studied for his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography at Jawaharlal Nehru Fine Arts and Architecture University, Hyderabad, and began his artistic career in 1994.

For many years, Madhu’s practice was anchored in photography, meticulously documenting the lives of tribal and rural communities in Telangana, exploring social conflicts, and observing the world through a deeply human lens. The isolation of the COVID-19 lockdown marked a pivotal shift. Confined to his home, he began the Rooftop Series, capturing the subtle rhythms of life from above. Yet, this stillness also stirred a different creative impulse, one that drew him beyond the photograph and into the open, interpretive realm of abstract painting,

In this transition, Madhu’s heritage as a weaver’s descendant became more than a memory, it became a method. To him, the canvas is not merely a surface but a cloth, ca...

Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University, Hyderabad, India.
(formerly Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University)
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography

Solo Exhibitions
2025 Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, India

2025 Interglobe Heritage Fellowship Exhibition at New Delhi, India

2023 A Solo photo exhibition and Talk at Kalakriti Art Gallery, Hyderabad, India.

2009 Poetry in Stone, Icon Art Gallery, Hyderabad, India.

2008 Vijayanagara, Art Heritage Gallery, New Delhi, India.

2010 National Center for Performing Arts (NCPA) Mumbai, India.

2011 Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India.

2007 Araku Valley, Alankritha Art Gallery, Hyderabad


Group Exhibitions

2020 Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India.

2011 Group Show at Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, India.

2010 Worldwide Gala Awards Online Exhibition.

2009 Group Show at Humanity Photo Awards, China.

2007 VIPC Photo Exhibition - Venice, Italy.

2007 Prestigio International. 2007 Selected and Exhibited at All India Photography Exhibition.

Conducted by AP State Academy of Photography, Hyderabad. 2006 Group Show at Humanity
Photo Awards, China.

2006 ‘Agriculture in the City’ selected and exhibited at IDRC-Canada as a part of World Urban Forum.

(WUF3), Vancouver, Canada. 2006 5th Concorso Fortografico Internazionale exhibition at Italy (16th September to 30th September 2006).

1994 Group Show at JNTU college o...