Ganapati Hegde: Born and brought up in Kumta (Coastal Karnataka), Ganapati’s love for fine arts was influenced and instilled in him very early on by his maternal grandfather, himself an artist. He has won many awards, including the 52nd National Award from Lalit Kala Academy and the Camlin National Award from Camlin Art Foundation. He has a Diploma in Art from the Ken School of Art, a Bachelor of Art from Karnataka University and Master in Fine Arts (External) from Bengaluru Open University. He lives and works in Bangalore. Ganapati Hegde is an artist whose work flirts through the realms of natural terrain with a strong affinity and admiration for flora and fauna. He creates fantastical territories comprising trees, flowers, living creatures and abstract thoughts. His works are not only expressive, but are images which act like a map of the inner workings and thoughts running though the artist’s mind. Gods & Nature series is veneration to Indian culture, mythology and tradition. It is the artist’s ode to Hindu mythology, gleaning scenes and instances from the epics and Holy Scriptures. Each depiction tells a different story, possibly left over in the artist’s mind from the hundreds of short stories and folk tales he heard from his grandparents during his growing years. Having created mental images of these stories the artist has chosen to recall them through this series that is so aptly titled.
