Born in Udupi, Karnataka. Bhaskar Rao is a self-taught artist who has held more than 20 exhibitions in India and in Singapore, Bangkok, Johannesburg, Dubai and Paris. Starting his career as a sculptor and muralist today he devotes more time to his paintings. He is the recipient of the Karnataka Lalit Kala Award on four occasions, in 1969, 1979, 1980 and1981 and the Award of Honour in 1996 from the Karnataka Lalit kala Academy. He has won the G S Shenoy Memorial Award in 2001 from Samyojita and the prestigious Karnataka Rajyotsava Award from the Govt. of Karnataka in 2004.
His paintings are near realistic images of the people living on the edges of society from his native Udipi. They are filled with a strange light and misty glows. His puppets provoke us to question ourselves.
Bhaskar Rao lives and works in Bangalore.