About Raghava KK

“Raghava KK is believed to be one of India 's most successful emerging artists. Exhibitions of his dreamlike watercolors on canvas, painted with his hands and feet, are hosted by prominent galleries throughout India and abroad.”  (Artana Gallery, Boston) Raghava's work features in many corporate and celebrity collections, as well as in the collections of art collectors and investors around the world. 

Born and brought up in Bangalore , India , Raghava KK began his artistic career as a cartoonist for the Times of India, Asian Age, and other leading national newspapers.  Raghava founded the Lee ‘n' Rags Cartoon Academy in 1998, and began traveling and exhibiting his cartoons, educating children and adults alike about expression through cartooning.

It was in his travels that Raghava began experimenting with a new medium, painting.   Encouraged by senior artists, such as Farid Belkahia (Marrakech), to try his hand at painting, Raghava developed his own unique style, in which he paints large watercolors on canvas, using only his hands and feet.  Since 2000, when actress-philanthropist Shabana Azmi hosted his first exhibition in Bangalore, Raghava has shown his work in over 13 countries and has been auctioned by museums and auction-houses, including the Queen's Museum, NY and Christie's NY (curated by the Indo American Arts Council). 

He was recently awarded a prestigious grant by the American India Foundation, through which he premiered his ‘Anthropomorphism: When Paintings Dance' performance art piece in California .  The piece was originally launched in Bangalore last year with the support of actor/director Kamal Haasan.

Raghava represents a unique figure in contemporary art; an artist with the capacity to express the spirit of today's globalized world.   

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Raghava KK
raghava@raghavakk.com