He is an artist with a difference and claims that through his paintings, he has been expressing the richness and stark contrasts of Neo-surrealism — where illustrations are drawn from imageries seen during dreams or from the subconscious mind. Thirty-six-year-old Srinath Kale has carved a niche for himself in the world of art and for more than a decade, exhibiting his paintings in collective or solo exhibitions all over Karnataka. “I was inspired by my father V T Kale, a renowned artist and a recipient of Nadoja award.”
Today, Kale’s paintings are infused with different thematic hues and colours, whether they are the study of Mahabharata, ancient ruins and architecture or the recurring theme of a horse which symbolises the grace, power and elegance of its movements. All his paintings have a lyrical storytelling quality which is similar to old folk art paintings.
Hailing from Sandur of Bellary district, Srinath obtained Masters in Visual Art from Hampi University. So far, he has displayed his art pieces in more than 15 exhibitions, including shows at Davangere, Belgaum, Shahbad, Hampi, Lakkundi, Kochi, Khajuraho, Delhi, Nagpur and Kurukshetra.
An art critic from Florida, Micheal Gross, has penned a book, Visions of Srinath Kale, which will be published shortly. Kale was honored with the ‘Youth Artiste’ award during his solo exhibition at Gadag.
So what’s in the future for this talented artist? “Art is my life and I would love to reach greater heights in this field. I am also planning to open a gallery in honour of my father at Bellary,” he concludes.