hare krishna!

I’m Bala Gopinatha Das, a self-taught artist and devotee based in Tucson, AZ. My work, rooted in realism and devotion to Krishna, seeks to open portals to the spiritual world through oil, charcoal, and sacred vision.

My Story

Hare Krishna! My name is Bala Gopinatha Das, and I am an artist from Tucson, AZ. I was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1991. I am a self-taught painter and have been devoted to pursuing art for most of my life. Primarily, I work with oil paints and charcoal and specialize in portraiture. My style can be described as realist and sometimes photorealist. I am dedicated to my craft and am constantly in pursuit of excellence in the fine arts. In addition to being an artist, I am also a musician, performer, and fire dancer.

On September 6th, 2020, I was initiated into the Hare Krishna movement, also known as the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. On that very special day, I took shelter of His Grace Jivananda Das Vanachari, who thenceforth became my guru, my spiritual teacher and guide. My primary inspiration and creative motivation stems from my spiritual, devotional practice, centered around the worship and love of Krishna. The form of Krishna in his many avatars and incarnations is non-different from himself. My desire is to open portals into the spiritual world, onto canvas and paper, so that everyone can receive the benefit of having an audience with the Supreme Absolute Truth in all his many forms. Krishna is described as supremely beautiful, indeed, his name means ‘that which is all-attractive’. It is, therefore, a fascinating exercise for an artist to attempt to capture a glimpse of that beautiful divine reality that exists beyond our senses. I wish that all beings, including myself, could also be inspired by these divine visions of the absolute reality that is the beauty of God.

Me and my wife Padma Rukmini devi dasi live peacefully in Tucson, AZ. If you would like to learn more, please contact 267-303-0577 or email balagart108@gmail.com. Hare Krishna!