K T Shivaprasad went to engineering college as per his family’s wishes but so strong were his inclinations to paint, that he left engineering and joined the Sir JJ School of Art in Mumbai. Apart from painting, he has been active in the movement to strengthen Karnataka’s agricultural workers through socialist, farmers, and dalit organizations. K T Shivaprasad today explores in his art the relationships between reality and illusion. He was conferred with the prestigious Karnataka Rajyotsava Award by the state government in 2001.