In the first episode of this new series of A brush with… Ben Luke talks to Matthew Krishanu about his influences – including writers, composers, filmmakers and, of course, other artists – and the cultural experiences that have shaped his life and work.
by Matthew Krishanu Skeleton (2014)
Photo: Pierre Mallet
Krishanu, born in 1980 in Bradford, UK, is one of Britain’s most distinctive painters. He draws on specific photographic images, including those of his family and childhood in Bangladesh, but his paintings are richly ambiguous, as he complicates his source material with emotion, memory, geopolitics, references to the history of art and literature, and the poetics of painting. himself.
by Matthew Krishanu pink christ (2020)
Photo: Pierre Mallet
He discusses the transformative experience of seeing the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, the continued influence of El Greco, his response to the work of Gwen John, and the art in India’s Ajanta Caves, and the intimate link of his work with literature, cinema and music. . Plus, he gives insight into his life in the studio and answers our usual questions, including the ultimate: what is art for?
by Matthew Krishanu Ordination (2017)
Photo: Pierre Mallet
• Matthew Krishanu, Anomie Publishing, 196pp, £30/€35/$40 (hb). Out now in the UK and Europe, released April 20 in the US.
• Matthew Krishanu, Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai, July 13-August 19; Tanya Leighton, Los Angeles, November 11-December 11 (TBC).
Series 15 of A brush with… runs from March 29 to April 19, with episodes airing on Wednesdays. You can download and subscribe to the podcast here
This podcast is sponsored by Bloomberg connectsthe arts and culture app.
The free app offers access to a huge range of international cultural organizations via a single download, with new guides added regularly. These include UK galleries DCA in Dundee and Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich. They join a host of other UK public galleries and museums on Bloomberg Connects, including the Hayward Gallery in London, where Matthew Krishanu featured in the 2021 exhibition To mix together, MK Gallery in Milton Keynes and Fruitmarket in Edinburgh. If you download the Fruitmarket guide from Bloomberg Connects, you will find a detailed article on its latest issue, poor things, which was curated by artists Emma Hart and Dean Kenning, and focuses on classroom discussions. A video tours the exhibition and in audio interviews, the artists in the exhibition discuss their work and its relationship to the theme. The guide also sheds light on Fruitmarket’s radical history and ongoing projects in Edinburgh.
