ABOUT THE SCULPTOR
- Kiran Subbaiah was born and raised in Mysore (Karnataka State). He belongs to the Appaneravanda family of the Kodava community from the hilly regions of Kodagu District (Coorg), Karnataka State. He was born in the year 1950.
- He has been interested in drawing and painting since his early school days. He gradually took to stone carving (inspired after visiting Belur and Halebeedu Temples a few times) and writing poems as his hobby in college (St. Philomena's College, Mysore).
- Later, he took formal training in sculpture at Sri Chamarajendra Technical Institute (C.T.I.). The course was for five years. But after three years of Basic training, he left the institute DISSATISFIED.
- As a first-year student at C.T.I., he won the 1st prize in the Arts and Crafts Exhibition held at the institute in 1972. And as a 3rd-year student, he was selected to participate in the All India Sculptor's Camp, sponsored by the Karnataka State LALITHA KALA ACADEMY, held in Bangalore in July 1974.
- The Coorg Association of Mysore exhibited his sculptures in January 1976. The same year, he held a ONE MAN SHOW of his sculptures, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Mysore at the Rotary School.
- He bagged the 1st prize at the Mysore Dasara Exhibition in 1978 and an award at the same exhibition in 1980. They selected two pieces of his sculpture for the ELEVENTH ANNUAL ART EXHIBITION of Karnataka LALITHA KALA ACADEMY at Bangalore.
- In the year 1980, the Academy bought one of the two sculptures.
- Post 1980, he decided not to enter any more competitions, but instead WORK HARDER and win the appreciation of the commoner, which he considered a BIGGER AND TRUTHFUL AWARD.
- He accepted the offer to be a Committee Member of the Fine Arts Section of the Mysore Dasara Exhibition for 1981 and 1982. And in these two years, he fought and bought changes for the betterment of sculptors, like individual stools for display. The most essential is bringing about EQUALITY in the PRIZE AMOUNT between SCULPTORS and PAINTERS ( sculptors got a lesser amount)
- He was selected to participate in the Sculptor's camp by the State "LALITHA KALA ACADEMY" of Karnataka held at Belur in January 1994.
- He participated in the 'Art Manpho 2011' Art and Craft Exhibition from 8th to 18th Sept 2011 at Manpho Convention Centre, Veerannapalya, Nagawara Ring Road, Bangalore-45.
- He is creating a masterpiece, a 135-headed Adishesha (5ft 1½ "ht), which will be a world record when completed.
Many of his traditional and realistic sculptures are a part of ART LOVERS' collection in India and Abroad, Parks and Temples spread out in different parts of Karnataka State.
The title "LIVING LEGEND" was given by the "Stona 2010 on their 9th International Granites and Stone Fair held at Bangalore in 2010.