Streets have always inspired me. It’s like a journey whose start and endpoints are known yet unknown; a representation of time in our lives. The place where you stand becomes the present, but where you passed by, becomes the past and the way ahead is the future. The continuous movement on the street makes it feel as if it is alive. Take for instance, the man who is pulling the cart has simply resigned to the hardships of life while the busy trader who purposely strides to his destination is waiting to be more active and achieve a lot more than his present condition. That you can find so many different characters on the same stretch inspires me to make my work realistic and expressive of life.
A quintessential Indian artist, Iruvan Karunakaran effortlessly captures mesmerising everyday scenes that instantly spark a familiarity with the bustling energy of small towns and urban lives. Hustling streets, decorated bulls, a hot Varanasi afternoon, scorching heat at the Charminar or a rainy day in Mumbai; he captures the unarticulated magnetism of such a setting creating an almost photo-realistic effect. His acrylic paintings display strong brushwork and mastery over impasto that creates a sense of realism and invites a deep visual interest. Iruvan Karunakaran’s ‘Gangireddu,’ or decorated ox, remains one of his most popular series of works.