Ganapati Hegde paints half-real, half-imagined worlds, layered with fantastical and unexpected elements that depict the rapturously green and radiant landscape of North Karnataka’s coast where he grew up. ... Hegde’s otherworldly jungle is full of interesting minutiae, and is inhabited by nature’s assorted residents, from caterpillars and chameleons to monkeys and butterflies, alongside a profusion of foliage painted in bright blues, reds, greens and lavenders. Amidst the lushness of Hegde’s vibrant acrylic and oil canvases sit sly anthropomorphic animals and familiar urban objects, including laptops, flags and furniture. While nature and its furry, feathery, and floral protagonists remain centre stage, an undercurrent of fable-like storytelling and sharp wit ripples through his work, compelling viewers to dig beneath the thicket of indigenous plants, flowers, birds, animals and insects.

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