Siramdasu Venkata Rama Rao (born 1936) is a British painter^[1][2] of Indian descent,^[3] known for his cubist paintings.^[4] Holder of Commonwealth Fellowship of 1962,^[4] he was honored by the Government of India, in 2001, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.^[5]

Rao, whose father was a wood carver and, later, builder,^[4][6][7] was born in Gudiwada,^[3] in the South India state of Andhra Pradesh, in 1936,^[2][8][9] His graduate studies were in Accounting and Banking in which he graduated from Andhra University in 1955.^[6] During this period, he studied art under the tutelage of K. Venugopal^[7] and later, under K Srinivasulu^[3] and secured a government diploma in Fine Arts in 1955^[6] from Kalakshetra, Chennai. On the insistence of the progressive art director of the institution, Madhavapeddi Gokhale,^[7] he joined Madras School of Arts and Crafts, present day Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai for advanced training^[4][9] and passed a Fine Arts degree course in 1959.^[6] Simultaneously, he studied Economics and secured a second graduate degree from Andhra University.^[6]

His association with the renowned painter, K. C. S. Paniker, in Chennai, assisted him in his growth^[3][6][7] and he moved to New Delhi in 1959 under a Government of India research fellowship where he stayed till 1962.^[6] On receiving a Commonwealth Fellowship that year,^[3] Rao migrated to UK^[4] and studied at the Slade School of Fine Arts, University of London till 1965^[6] under William Coldstream.^[9] The next two years were spent at London County Council as a teacher of painting and drawing.^[6][9] Later, in 1967, he shifted to US and passed the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) course from the University of Cincinnati in 1969 and concurrently taught at the university as a teaching assistant,^[9] a post he held till 1969.^[6] The next move was to Western Kentucky University as the professor of fine arts.^[6][9] Later, he moved his base to Chicago.^[4]

Rao's lithographs are found in the collections of Herbert Reed, Tate Gallery, London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.^[7] Some of his exhibitions have been co-hosted by renowned modern painters such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Max Ernst, Jackson Pollock, Georges Braque and Salvador Dalí^[4][7] and his paintings are sold by art auctioneers such as Bonhams^[1] and Rosebury's Fine Arts Auctioneers.^[2] His paintings are displayed at:^[3][6][7]

Rao, who is also credited with publications on art and poetry,^[4][10] is married to Suguna and the couple has a daughter, Padmavathi, a known classical dancer of Bharatanatyam.^[6] He returned to India^[6] in 2003 and pursues his work there.^[4]

Rama Rao received the Lord Croft Award in 1962.^[3][7][9] Three years later, he was selected as The Most Outstanding Artist in the Commonwealth by the Second Commonwealth Biennial of Abstract Art Exhibition, held in London in 1965.^[6] A doctorate (DLitt, Honoris Causa) holder from the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University, Hyderabad, Rao's biography is featured in the Outstanding Educators of America and Washington DC publication.^[6] The Government of India honoured him with the civilian award of Padma Shri in 2001.^[6][7][9]