In his artistic process, Gurusiddappa G.E continually responds to the external world, and acknowledges conversations with his internal self. His sensibilities as a creative practitioner have been shaped and inspired by his personal history, layered with his experiences of contemporary life in a collective context. Over the years he has developed a strong language of figuration that establishes a relationship between the real and imaginary, the metaphoric and literal. In his recent series of large-scale canvas paintings, he revisits familiar motifs and forms from his visual vocabulary – the deer, the crane, trees and floral elements - that represent his symbolic interpretation of transitions, transformations and a sense of hope in the lived world.

Living and working in the metropolis of Bangalore with ancestral roots in rural India, Guru has always been aware of the harsh contrasts between village existence and urban survival. As a witness and observer, he employs drawing and painting as channels for expression and even catharsis. He creates critical commentaries on social hierarchies, cultural complexities and the perpetual games of global power structures that dominate everything from the economy to the environment.

...The last few years saw the emergence of an alternative medium in his process, when he explored a grayscale palette and the use of graphite and charcoal on paper. With a pencil replacing his brush for a time, he found interest in rendering densely populated backgrounds, that included fine drawings of designs gathered from various sources. Advertising logos, iconic images, references from art history and literature, and more, find place within satirical compositions in which central objects and figures highlight aspects of current affairs. “Socio-political happenings like urbanisation, migration, impact of science and unethical development of cities and its influence on geographical, environmental, and cultural imbalance on humans are always represented in my works…,” he explains. In his chronicles of the human condition, he often uses his self-portrait and physical form in varied poses and gestures, as a signifier of universal experience.

As he evaluates and contextualizes the layered contemporary, he has returned to the contemplation of nature as a metaphor in his ongoing series of paintings. The botanically detailed tableaux bring to mind ideas of power, beauty, love and desire, extending from his close interactions with the younger generation. Philosophically questioning the multilayered meanings of ‘growth’, he presents hybrid flora and fauna in surreal settings, playing with patterned or staged backgrounds with sculpturally modeled forms that are larger-than-life. A deep engagement with theatre and film, love for the written word and passion for teaching, all feed into Guru’s aesthetics and art-making in different ways, bringing about dramatic visuals and poetic rendition of narratives.

As a practicing artist and educator, Guru has garnered a variety of experiences within the larger sphere of design and pedagogy in the last decade and half. Navigating a swiftly changing city and society, he continues to be open to transitions as he hones his intuitive vision as a creator.

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