Artist, activist, architect K.T. Shivaprasad passes away in Bengaluru

KT Shivaprasad, an internationally renowned artist, social activist, photographer and architect, passed away on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. He was 78 years old.

Mr. Shivaprasad, a resident of Hassan, recently underwent surgery for a kidney infection and has recovered. However, on Saturday, January 27, he was admitted to a hospital in Bengaluru after he experienced breathing problems. According to family sources, he took his last breath around 10:00 in the morning of June 29. He is survived by his wife Suvarna.

Born on July 5, 1947, Mr. Shivaprasad developed an interest in painting during his student days at Ramakrishna Ashrama in Mysuru. He enrolled for a BE degree at Malnad Engineering College in Hassan, but dropped out of engineering to study at Sir JJ College of Arts in Mumbai.

KT Shivaprasad launched Navilu, a monthly magazine, in Hassan. Writer Banu Mushtaq and editor of the monthly magazine VR Carpenter are also seen. | Photo Credit: The Hindu

After returning to Hassan, Mr. Shivaprasad spent a lot of time at his father’s farmhouse on the outskirts of the city, where he painted extensively. Gradually he began to establish relationships with agricultural workers and peasants; These interactions would profoundly influence his artistic direction.

Largely influenced by writer Poornachandra Tejaswi and MD Nanjundaswamy, founder of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), Mr. Shivaprasad gradually transformed into a farmer activist. He later traveled extensively with KRRS, deepening his understanding of agricultural crises, land dispossession, and farmers’ rights.

architectural heritage

During his involvement in the farmers’ movement, Mr. Shivaprasad pursued architecture and photography in parallel. Many of the widely circulated photographs documenting the farmers’ movement and rural struggles were taken by Mr. Shivaprasad, establishing him as both a visual historian and a participant in these campaigns.

Artist KT Shivaprasad with writers Roopa Hassan and Banu Mushtaq. File photo | Photo Credit: PRAKASH HASSAN

His architectural practice began when Tejaswi commissioned him to design a residence. Among Mr. Shivaprasad’s most famous architectural works is Kavishaila, a monument to Kannada poet and cultural figure Kuvempu at Kuppali in Tirthahalli taluk. In terms of concept and execution, Kavishaila embodies the philosophy of Aniketana (limitless, free spirit), which is the essence of Kuvempu’s literary and spiritual legacy.

According to artist Babu Eshwar Prasad, Mr. Shivaprasad’s long-time partner, he was a talented artist ahead of his time. “After graduating from Sir JJ School of Art, Mr. Shivaprasad initially pursued experimental abstraction. As he became more deeply involved with rural communities and farm workers, his approach shifted towards figurative realism, depicting the lives and faces of people in his immediate surroundings,” he said.

Away from gallery networks

In the early years his paintings of rural figures gained him wide recognition and his works were exhibited in major galleries and purchased by collectors for significant prices. “He gradually moved away from the gallery network. For several years, he devoted all his time to Raitha Sangha,” said Mr. Eshwar Prasad.

In later years, Mr. Shivaprasad developed a deep engagement with Buddhist philosophy and aesthetics.

KT Shivaprasad at an art exhibition organized by the Lalitha Kala Academy of Karnataka in Hassan on March 26, 2008. | Photo Credit: SHAMASUNDER

For Dalit rights

Although he worked with KRRS and the Dalit Sangharsha Samiti for several years, he gradually distanced himself from the former and chose to identify himself with the latter. DSS (Ambedkarwada) founder Mavalli Shankar said: “He stood as a pillar of the organisation. Despite his background from a wealthy industrialist family, Mr. Shivaprasad was a staunch advocate of Dalit rights and social justice.”

Another organization he was associated with was Odanadi Seva Trust in Mysuru, a non-governmental organization working for the rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking.

His body will be kept at the Kannada Sahitya Parishat premises in Hassan on Wednesday, July 1, between 10 am and 1 pm for people to pay their last respects, family sources said. The final rites will be held in the city later in the day.