Shivaraju's tale: From Bengaluru cop to acclaimed photographer
Synopsis
In India, most people would be thrilled to have a secure government job. For Shivaraju, however, being in Khaki was nothing compared clicking pictures. Here is his journey from Bengaluru's lanes to Swedish art exhibitions
India, most people are happy to get a government job. And even within such sentiment, bagging a police job is held in special regard. So it was surprising indeed when Shivaraju decided to give up being a constable in the Karnataka Reserve Police and become a photographer.
Shivaraju, a native of Bannikuppe in Ramanagar, had studied up to 10th class and moved to Bengaluru in the late 90s. He joined the service in 2000 as a constable for the Reserve Police. He worked as a cop for eight long years, but frequent visits to Bengaluru's Chitra Kala Parishath changed his outlook, and eventually, his career.
Speaking to Asianet Newsable, he said that he was inspired by his cousin, who was the principal at the Karnataka Chitra Kala Parishath - an art-focused academy.
"I started clicking photos on subjects. People and Bengaluru culture like the Karaga (temple festival), the groundnut fair and many others attracted me. My work on Belvangala Basavaraju - who propagates Gandhiji's principles - earned me my name and fame overseas. Eventually, as I had to involve myself fully in my passion, I bid goodbye to my police job and doing photography full time," he said.
His sheer determination to follow his passion has now earned him a chance to present his works at the Sweden Art Center. In October, he will be presenting his best works at Zurich.
"I have been invited by Swedish authorities. The artists there were impressed by my people and culture photography. Even as Bengaluru was being rebranded as IT, Health Care and Silicon, it still has its unique culture, and I am capturing that. I have documented over 25 such cultural festivals, where people and their emotions are captured in the best way," he said
Back in 2013, Shivaraju had travelled to Berlin, America and Switzerland to show his photography, allowing international artists to take note of his master class.