Born in 1979, in Kalahasti, Andhra Pradesh to a family of weavers, Ramesh Gorjala learnt the traditional Kalamkari art as a child from his uncle, Balaji Theertham, a national award winning Kalamkari artist. Gorjala’s art reflects the early impressions of being in the midst of an art practiced for generations in his village, where there is a depiction of the mythological characters and stories on textile parchments as well as walls and scrolls. The hues and colours that we find in Gorjala’s paintings is also a testimony to this early influence: earthy reds and greens interspersed with washed browns and sandalwood shades, the combinations are inspired from the Kalamkari traditions.Ramesh Gorjala was inspired by the figures of Indian epics and one can trace his use of recurring mythic figures in his artlike Vishnu, Krishna, Hanuman and Kamadhenu among others. But his depictions of these epic figures are unique in the dense depiction of multiple narratives, figures and texts within the main icon.
Having a huge appeal among the art lovers, Ramesh Gorjala’s art is well sought out for its South Asian ethos. His collectors include many including Beyonce and Narendra Modi, who requested him for a depiction of Kamadhenu, the symbol of wealth, joy and luck in Gorjala’s signature style.