G. R. Iranna’s (b.1970, Karnataka, India) early life was shaped by formative years spent studying in a gurukul and residing in an ashram for nearly seven years. These experiences underpin his enduring engagement with spiritual inquiry, cultural memory, and the dualities inherent in human existence. His work seeks to translate an interior, meditative landscape onto tactile surfaces, often drawing upon visual languages associated with Buddhist art. Although Iranna began his career working primarily in oil on canvas, he later adopted tarpaulin as a principal medium, embracing its material resonance and symbolic associations.
Iranna’s work was exhibited at the 58th Venice Biennale and is held in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Singapore Art Museum, and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, among others. Iranna has presented six solo exhibitions with Aicon Contemporary since 2006 and has participated in numerous group exhibitions.
Iranna lives and works in New Delhi, India.