artist GR Iranna
artist GR Iranna

Between nature and humanity

The fearlessness that reflects in artist GR Iranna’s experimental mediums creates a deep aesthetic which elevates the canvas into a third dimension.
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Being from an agrarian family, artist GR Iranna finds himself communicating with nature and seeing it as his guide. There is a certain silent conversation which translates in the work, between his surroundings and humanity, or one can say, the mortal and the immortal. This connection to spirituality blossoms in his works, translating itself into his paintings and sculpture.

His recent work on show as part of Gallery Ragini’s Expanding Horizons—Ek Aur Duniya curated by Ina Puri, talks of the same metaphor. The 55-year-old artist says, “The Silent Portrait captures the memories of childhood and the spirituality which always stays with you as you grow. The work touches many areas, giving the innocent voiceless a voice.”

As an artist, Iranna practices multiple mediums, ranging from ash to acrylic, oil, found objects, bronze, gouache and tarpaulin. His work draws its inspiration from his upbringing in a village in Karnataka, his connection to his people, life and beyond. Iranna spent his schooling years in a Gurukul, where he lived in an ashram for many years, leading to fostering a connection to his faith and his roots. He later started to use torching techniques in his works. The act of burning is connected to many religious rituals and also connects to life and death. It creates another dimension in his work, torched wounds that make the layers more pronounced.

Growing up in Bijapur, on the border of Karnataka and Maharashtra, Iranna’s first canvas was the freshly laid out asphalt roads, on which he would draw pictures of deities with chalk —his favourite being the monkey-God, Hanuman. He described these days as his fondest memories and also how his tryst with art began. Little wonder that his relationship with his faith is a notable aspect of his works, manifesting itself in both small nuances and larger meanings.

The Delhi-based artist’s work is multi-layered and multi-dimensional, as he explores the juxtaposition of light and dark, of durability and fragility and of spirituality and materialism. His recent works show a removal of figuration and delve into more abstraction and curiosity. His robust, fearless strokes, layer upon layer, create alchemy of colours and texture.

The end result is a soft and lyrical abstraction. For instance, in The Silent Portrait the tree stands as a monumental figure against the backdrop of the orange evening dusk. Below the tree, are a group of monks evoking a sense of peace and spiritual depth. Through his work, Iranna aims to show the tree as a giver, not just in an environmental sense but also a spiritual one.

The symbol of the tree, the subject of many of his works, is also a symbol of resilience. The tree becomes an object that surpasses life and its many trials and tribulations. Through devastations, it still stands tall, continuing to nurture and flower us. Iranna finds the tree has been integral to his work as an artist: “I have always felt that it embodies life, and because of its silence, it has a stillness and meditative quality.”

Often in his work, a glimpse of a memory from his village stems up. An essence of nostalgia is emoted in his works, wanting to preserve his memories and immortalise them physically as part of his art. Yet at the core, lies his inquisitiveness, a willingness to find an answer and more importantly, to ask a question. This curiosity and mystery is something that drives him as an artist.

As an artist, Iranna’s work draws its inspiration from his upbringing in a village in Karnataka, his connection to his people, life and beyond

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The New Indian Express
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