Giliyal Jayaram Bhat, from Panaje, Puttur, is both an industrialist (BBM) and an accomplished artist (BFA, MVA). He began his career with realistic and hyper-realistic portraits, landscapes, and still life, later shifting towards abstraction after formal training. Active since the late 1970s, he has won several competitions, exhibited widely, and studied at the Bandra School of Art during his years in Mumbai.

Bhat developed a distinctive approach rooted in colour, rhythm, and balance. His abstractions draw from lived experiences and travels, often transforming impressions of land and water into expressive canvases. With a free-flowing style, he allows forms and colours to interact, creating harmony, tension, and open spaces that invite viewer interpretation.

His paintings have graced the covers of Kannada literary works by Smt. Leela Mannala, feature in the permanent collection of Dr. Shivaram Karanth Art Gallery (Puttur), and are held in private collections worldwide. Bhat has showcased his work in renowned venues including Jehangir Art Gallery, Nehru Art Centre (Mumbai), Chitrakala Parishath (Bangalore), and international exhibitions in Dubai.