MATTHEW KRISHANU
b. 1980, United KingdomMatthew Krishanu (b.1980, Bradford. Lives and works in London) paints in series, creating chapters of works based on his personal experiences and childhood memories growing up in Bengal. Combining loose washes of colour with thick definite lines, the characters in his compositions—framed against natural landscapes and domestic interiors—allude to the complexity of early life in expatriate and missionary communities. In his poignant scenes Krishanu shows that childhood innocence is far from immune to historic and cultural facets or prejudice from the adult world.
Krishanu received his MA from Central Saint Martins, London, in 2009 and his BA from Exeter University, Devon, in 2001.
His work has been exhibited internationally, most recently at Royal Academy of Arts, London (2025); Camden Art Centre, London (2024); The Box, Plymouth (2024); MK Gallery, Milton Keynes (2023); Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi (2023); Whitechapel Gallery, London (2023); University of Leeds (2023); Dhaka Art Summit (2023); GRIMM, New York (2022); Mead Gallery, Warwicks Art Centre, Coventry (2022); LGDR, New York (2022); Tanya Leighton (2021); Hayward Gallery/Southbank Centre, London (2021, 2020); Ikon and Lahore Biennial 02, Lahore (2020); MAC, Birmingham (2019) and Huddersfield Art Gallery, Huddersfield (2018); Ikon Gallery, Birmingham (2019); Compton Verney, Warwickshire (2019); Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool (2018); East Gallery, Norwich (2018); Yantai Art Museum, Jiangsu Art Museum, Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, China (2017-2018).
Public collections that hold Krishanu’s work include: Arts Council Collection, London; Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Birmingham; Central Saint Martins (UAL), London; China Academy of Art Museum, Hangzhou; Government Art Collection, UK; Huddersfield Art Gallery, Huddersfield; Ikon Gallery Birmingham; Jiangsu Art Museum, Nanjing; Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi; Royal Brampton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, London and Tate Modern, London.
Courtesy Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai.
View Matthew Krishanu's Artworks
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