Raqib Shaw

Raqib Shaw’s intricate and oppulent paintings and drawings blend traditional techniques with modern sensibilities. Often taking inspiration from eastern and western mythology, as well as combining iconography from both East and West, Shaw's works often feature fantastical landscapes, mythological creatures, and intricate patterns that draw inspiration from his Indian heritage as well as Western art history. His transgressive vision is explored through highly personal imagery that is both opulent and fantastical, referring to the works as his own personal diary, infused with his unique imagination.  Shaw’s works often showcase intricate and layered patterns and textures, while their magnificent and sparkling surfaces are accomplished through the use of various embellishments such as inlaid gems, rhinestones, glitter, enamel, and metallic paints.

Shaw has had solo exhibitions at Tate Modern, London (2006), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2008), Manchester Art Gallery (2013), Galerie Rudolfinum, Prague (2013), and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh (2018). His exhibition at The Whitworth Art Gallery, The University of Manchester, United Kingdom (2017) was reimagined for the Dhaka Art Summit, Bangladesh, in 2018.

Raqib Shaw (b. 1974 in Calcutta, India) lives and works in London. He holds an MA in Fine Art from the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London. His works have since been the subject of many exhibitions worldwide, both group and solo. Shaw’s most notable solo exhibitions include Ca’ Pesaro, Galleria Internazionale d’Arte Moderna, Venice (2022); Zabludowicz Collection, London (2020); Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh (2018); The Whitworth, Manchester (2017); White Cube at Glyndebourne (2016); Rudolfinium, Prague (2013); Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester (2013); Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna (2009); The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2008); and Tate Britain, London (2006). His work is part of collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Modern Art, New York;  and the Tate, London.