Raqib Shaw: Ornate Worlds of Beauty and Power
Raqib Shaw, a Kashmiri-born London-based artist, is known for his lavish, hyper-detailed paintings that merge influences from Persian miniatures, Japanese lacquerware, and European baroque. Using enamel, gold, and rhinestones, his works explore themes of exile, desire, violence, and control, placing beauty and brutality within the same intricate frame. Painting with a porcupine quill and metal nib, Shaw transforms personal trauma into theatrical, layered compositions. His art proves that fantasy is not just escape—it is a powerful confrontation with history, identity, and protest.