HAVERI: Having a good work-life balance is essential in this fast-paced world, where one can put aside enough time to do the things that bring joy. This is something the head constable of Haveri District Armed Reserve Force Kariyappa Hanumantappa Hanchinmani has managed to do, by keeping his love for art alive. While the 43-year-old’s prime duty is to fight crime, his childhood love for painting has got him national and international recognition, and he has also turned his newly-constructed home into Hanchinmani’s Spotlight Art Gallery in North Karnataka.
Hanchinmani, who joined the force in 1999, made it his mission to ensure the gallery is established, and his dream came to reality on September 22 last year. Here, artists can display their paintings for free.
He constructed the gallery using his own design and his own money, at an estimated cost of Rs 25 lakh, on the first floor of his home, while he stays on the ground floor.
The gallery is well-furnished, modern and high-tech. A total of fifty to sixty paintings can be displayed at the gallery. Now, arts lovers from across the district visit the gallery. Earlier, artists from North Karnataka had no option but to go to Bengaluru to showcase their work, but with this new gallery, budding artists have the option to display their work here. Each week, one or two expos are held here.
With a collection of over a thousand paintings, Hanchinmani has displayed the works at international exhibitions in New York and London, as well as at several exhibitions in India, since 2010. Hanchinmani says, “I was having a tough time displaying my work as there was no art gallery in Haveri. I had to go all the way to Bengaluru for this, so that’s when I decided to open my own gallery here.” He says that earlier, he would display his paintings at Mylor Mahadev Circle and Mahatma Gandhi Circle, as well as many indoor venues in Haveri.
Deputy Commissioner Krishna Bajpai inaugurated the Kinnal Painting Show, displaying artwork of prisoners at Haveri jail on Gandhi Jayanthi day at Hanchinmani’s gallery. “On Rajyotsava, we organised a painting competition for high school students. Last month, we organised a portrait painting session for 150 school students,” says Hanchinmani while talking about the different events organised at his gallery.
Hanchinmani’s dream is to have foreign artists display their work at his gallery. “In the coming days, I am planning to invite famous foreign artists to my gallery to display their best works,” he says. Talking about how he makes time to paint given his hectic schedule as a policeman, Hanchinmani says, “I devote time for my passion after work. My superiors have cooperated and encouraged me.” His wife Rekha and son Mithul are a great support for him.
ACCOLADES
Hanchinmani won the Karnataka Lalita Kala Academy award in 2013, and in 2016, he won first prize at the national-level Golden Stroke Awards. Among his other accolades are the Haveri District Republic Day Award in 2011, Sri D V Halabhavi Yuva Kuncha Kala Shree National award in 2015, Mysuru Dasara Award in 2009, and others.