Welcome to the Rumale Art House, a place where art, spirituality, culture, and history converge.
In the heart of Bengaluru, this exceptional art gallery, the first of its kind where the
artist's home and gallery converge; holds within its walls the remarkable journey of the artist
Rumale Chennabasaviah and his vibrant creations.
Explore the fascinating tale of how this art gallery in Bengaluru came into existence, the enduring legacy of
Rumale's works, and the modern transformation that has retained its original essence.
A Permanent Home for Art
In the 1960s and early 70s, Rumale Chennabasaviah struggled to exhibit his paintings, as there were
no art galleries in Bengaluru. He did manage to hold his one-man shows at the Vidhana Soudha
(Karnataka state’s imposing legislative assembly building) and at temporary public spaces.
Although his exhibition had a rousing reception at the Banquet Hall in Vidhana Soudha, Rumale
recognised the need for a permanent home for his paintings. Using a bank loan, the Rumale Art
House came into being.
Inauguration and Early Days
Rumale Art House, Bengaluru’s first private art gallery, was inaugurated in November, 1973 by
Smt. K.S. Nagarathnamma, Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly and Bengaluru City Mayor, Shri.
Ananthakrishna. It was the artist’s humble contribution to the art culture of Bengaluru. It
initially housed about sixty of his paintings. The gallery welcomed art lovers, artists from all
over the world, as well as people from all walks of life. Rumale held several of his one-man
shows here as well.
A Modern Transformation
Rumale Art House has been given a makeover recently while retaining the original essence of the
gallery. It has a dedicated art space to exhibit about ninety original works featuring the
blossoms of Bengaluru, landscapes of Karnataka and Sri Lanka, and some portraits.
The premises also includes a puja room which has on display the spiritual subjects Rumale
depicted, including the portraits of his gurus, Shreeman Tapaswiji Maharaj and Sri Sri Sri
Shivabalayogi Maharaj along with other objects.
Tucked away in a typical middle-class neighbourhood of Bengaluru, Rumale Art House is a unique
art gallery in Bengaluru, capturing life, people, and cityscapes as he saw them from his humble
eyes.
Rumale's Artistic Legacy
The Rumale Art House in the Silicon capital city of India, Bengaluru, displays ninety original
paintings by the artist.
Here’s what you can expect to see in Rumale’s works - vibrant colours, cityscapes of Bangalore,
captured alongside the blooms that are strewn across the topography of the city, giving it a
distinct character. Multiple mediums, multiple subjects, locales, and techniques. It is all there.
It is no wonder that some called him the Van Gogh of India and Prof. V.K. Gokak, the Jnanpith awarded-laureate, called him the painter-laureate of the blossoms of Bengaluru.Remembered fondly by the community of artists and art critics, Rumale has been respectfully referred to as ‘The Artist Mentor’ by renowned artist and teacher Nadoja R.M. Hadapad.
Sacred Space
Paintings of his Gurujis' and spiritual influencers, important spiritual sites some of which are
now submerged under water, Shivalingas from Karnataka, India and Sri Lanka are some of the rare
collections that can be seen here. This puja room also has a Shiv Linga consecrated with
blessings of Sri Sri Sri Shivabalayogi Maharaj whose wooden sandals are also kept for worship.
