Untitled, 2016, acrylic on tarpaulin, 66 x 66 inches.

Form of a tree from an unusual to-view. The tree gently explodes into an ever-evolving formation with the nexus of branches and blooming flowers – mysteriously hiding the magnanimity of life and evolution within. The selective colour palette and the fluid manner in which the painting is rendered refers strongly to the mystic elements in nature that fascinate Iranna. The meticulous rendering of recurring visual elements like flowers, and branches resonate with the process of painting which Iranna often refers to as meditation.

Silver Ash, 2020, acrylic and ash on tarpaulin, 54 x  60 inches

As a continuing reference to Iranna’s fascination with Ash as a medium, which he deploys to show the impermanence of life, this painting presents another vision of the tree. The branches unfurl and spread out to eternity while burning or blooming to one side. The abstract manner in which the tree is depicted, makes it look like an organism referencing both form and formlessness and moving form.
 

Shunya Se Shunya, 2019, Coal, acrylic on paper, 60 x 96 inches (diptych)

In this painting, Iranna reflects on the concept of Shunya, 'Nothingness' or 'Void', a concept that is integral to Buddhist and Veerashaiva metaphysical systems among others. In this artwork, he explores the life cycle of the tree, turning into ash and beginning a new cycle afresh, by integrating wood charcoal, reminiscent of a tree as a pigment. Like his other works, Iranna engages with philosophical concepts, not for their symbolic meaning but to explore the deeper questions about fragility of life.

From ash to spring, 2020, acrylic on ash on tarpaulin, 48 x 126 inches (diptych)

Continuing his exploration about the aspect of life and death, Iranna emphasizes on two elements here - ash and spring. The ‘ash’ symbolizes death, destruction, reduction of life to residual form and ‘spring’ symbolizing regeneration of life. He employs the use of ash as pigment to poignantly weave the narrative. The grey register stands in contrast to the bright and colourful side of the blooming tree. It illustrates the temporality of stages of life, beautifully evoking transformation in nature.
 

Untitled, 2017, mixed media on paper, 42 x 120 inches (diptych)

In this diptych, Iranna speaks philosophically about the life-cycle of a tree while emphasizing that the life of the tree never ends after it is cut down, rather a new life cycle begins. In other words, it remains a tree even after being cut into pieces. A blooming tiny tree emerges out from one of the logs. The mystery of the universe, generation and regeneration of life beautifully manifest here. One can sense the way Iranna distances himself as an observer, by surrendering to the mysteries of the universe.

 

We All Together Under Cherry Blossom Afternoon, 2020, acrylic on tarpaulin, 54 x 132 inches (diptych).

In this diptych Iranna brings forth a garden with rows of dense flowering trees. The human figures make an appearance in the composition. A range of people - monks, saints and soldiers are seen busy with activities. A man is seen dragging a donkey and a monk resting under a tree. The people depicted or their actions are not related to each other. But when viewed from a distance, they come together and provide us possibilities of a narrative. Iranna juxtaposes peace and violence, that have been his intellectual engagement for long. The trees present an enigma of the mass which you see in his other works, that depict mass movement of monks.