Raqib Shaw (Indian, b.1974) is a contemporary painter based in London, England. Shaw was born in Calcutta, but spent much of his youth in Kashmir, where he was influenced by the multi-ethnic cultural environment. In 1998, Shaw left India for London and received both his BA and MA from Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design.
After graduating from college, Shaw exhibited in a number of group and solo exhibitions. His work
The Garden of Earthly Delights caught the attention of the London Contemporary Art scene in 2004. Titled after the triptych of
Hieronymus Bosch, the series depicts a fantastical underwater world populated by hybrid creatures often engaged in violent and sexual acts. Shaw's distinctive painting surfaces are made from enamel, semi-precious stones, and industrial paint on linen. The meticulous details, such as coral, feathers, and flowers, reflect influences from his childhood in which his Muslim mercantile family traded in Persian rugs, jewelry, and textiles.
Shaw’s featured exhibitions include
Of Beasts And Super-beasts, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris (2012);
Paradise Lost, White Cube, London (2011);
Absence of God, Kunsthalle wien project space karlsplatz, Vienna (2009);
Raqib Shaw, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2008);
Art Now—Raqib Shaw, Tate Britain, London (2006); and
Garden of Earthly Delights, Deitch Projects, New York (2005).
