Iranna GR was born in 1970, and has painted professionally for 10 years. His art is thought to be a stylistic challenge to post-modernism, using instead the representative, idealistic and
modernist language of contemporary Indian painting. He has won several awards, held a series of one-man shows and participated in exhibitions in Amsterdam and Chicago.
The Dancer on the Horse: Reflections on the Art of Iranna GR is a meditation on the life and work of the artist. Ranjit Hoskote emphasizes the spirituality of the artist's work and the
importance of his Guru. Frequently, Iranna depicts a solitary figure in an unreal landscape, and this has been interpreted by the author as a self-portrait of one who feels estranged from his
context.
'The Dancer on the Horse' refers to a self-portrait by this name. The dancer must maintain both his own logical plan and take into account the movement of the horse which is unpredictable. This
balancing act is a metaphor for the artist's obligation to find the appropriate relationship between the inner and outer realities and the private space of the studio and the public space of
the gallery. For Ranjit Hoskote, Iranna is immensely successful in achieving this equilibrium.
