Gopikrishna completed his BFA from the College of Art, Trivandrum, 1987 and his MFA from the College of Art, New Delhi, 1989. A consummate storyteller, Gopikrishna peoples his universe with myriad creatures and characters, each conveying their own subtle wisdom. His paintings appear as though they were pages from a book of fairytales. In his surrealistic canvas, one can witness the ordinary and the impossible, unity and solitude, illumination and darkness.In a world driven by the material existence of man, these scenarios are only possible in Gopikrishna’s wonderland! He does not believe in following the masses by doing “happy paintings. Many have pointed out that my images are “too real”. I don’t sugar coat what I see or feel, I paint them as I see it in my mind’s eye; sometimes the tale is gory. I don’t tell stories of men but of life – of humans turning on one other and against animals too. Most of my paintings contain metaphors.”
He won the Kerala State Award for Drawing from the Lalit Kala Akademi, 2000 and the All India Fine Arts Society Award, 2002. The artist’s solo exhibitions include Perceptions from the Precipice, 2013; Carnival of Rising Emotions, 2010; Dream Conservatory, 2007 with Art Musings, Mumbai. He has also participated in several important group shows in India, Singapore, Amsterdam and New York, and in the India Art Fair with Art Musings in 2016, 2012 & 2011.
The artist lives and works in Trivandrum.
Solo shows
2010 'Carnival of Rising Emotions', Art Musings, Mumbai
2009 'Gopikrishna: A Personal Mythology', The Palette Art Gallery, New Delhi
2007 ‘Dream Conservatory’, Art Musings, Mumbai
2006 ‘The Cave in the Metropolis’, Palette Art Gallery, New Delhi
2004 ‘Swan and other paintings’, Inaugural Show, Kashi Art Gallery, Mattanchery, Kerala
2002 ‘Turtle Hatchery’, Kashi Art Café, Kochi, Kerala
2001 ‘Secret Energy’, Kashi Art Café, Kochi, Kerala
2000 ‘Gates to Decivilization’, Durbar Hall, Kerala
1996 ‘Beyond the Known’, Museum Gallery, Trivandrum, Kerala
1989 College of Fine Arts Gallery, Trivandrum, Kerala
Group shows
2009 'The Human Animal', jointly presented by Gallery Threshold and Arts I (Religare Arts Initiative) at Gallery Threshold, New Delhi
2005 ‘Double Enders’, A Traveling Show at Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore,Kochi
2002 'Indian Contemporary Art', Gallery Lombardi, Texas, USA
2001 Bose Pacia Modern Prize for Contemporary Art Show, New York
2000 ‘Exile and Longing’, Lakeeren Contemporary Art Gallery, Mumbai
1993 Schoo’s Gallery, Amsterdam
Participations
2011 'The Intuitive: Logic Revisted', from the Osians Collection at The World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland
2010 'Art Celebrates 2010: Sports and the City', represented by Art Alive Gallery at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi to coincide with the hosting of the Commonwealth Games
2009 'ARCOmadrid', Spain presented by curator Bose Krishnamachari for 'Panoroma: India'
2008 Art Singapore, Singapore
2007 'Ten Light Years', Kashi Art Gallery, Kochi, Kerala
Awards
2002 Award for Drawing, All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi
2001 Runner up, Bose Pacia Modern Prize for Contemporary Art, New York
2000 State Award for Painting, Kerala Lalit Kala Academy