MATTHEW KRISHANU: AN EXPLORATION INTO THE LOST AND FOUND DREAMS OF CHILDHOOD
My brother and I used to look in mirrors together and say hello to our mirror selves – as though they lived in another world.
Matthew Krishanu, from an interview to ART UK
Imagine standing at the threshold of an enigmatic forest, a labyrinthine and mysterious expanse, where the grandeur of nature dwarfs human presence. Two small boys climb towering banyan trees with crowns that stretch into the unknown. Each painting is a portal into a dreamland, an allegory of life's journey, reaching skywards towards aspirations and dreams, or remaining grounded, deeply rooted in the realities of life.
There's a subtle beauty in these artworks, a melodic blend of melancholy and faded hues. Yet, their essence is profoundly positive, capturing the spirit of exploration and courage. Children traverse the colossal branches, undeterred in their fearless exploration of the world and of life itself.
For me, it’s about constructing something somewhere between imagination, art history, and then potentially a source material, like a photo.
Matthew Krishanu, from an interview to The Guardian
Matthew Krishanu's paintings are distinguished by their unique flatness, and enhanced by vivid colors and facial expressions that seem intentionally detached, as if vessels onto which viewers might project their own personalities, emotions, and character, transcending simple photographic likenesses. Through these media, the artist hopes that viewers will connect with the individuals in his paintings, seeing them as real people rather than mere symbols, regardless of the roles they play.
In his work, Krishanu combines thin paint washes with bold, assertive strokes. His simplified style is influenced by a range of sources, from Byzantine painting to artists like Luc Tuymans, Mamma Andersson, and El Greco. He likens his painting approach to writing, where he aims to communicate without superfluous detail, avoiding flamboyant marks in favor of a more refined expression. His use of flat, schematized faces allows the images to transcend specific time periods and invite viewers to bring their own interpretations.
For me, memory is about restructuring and re-imagining the past. Essentially, it is an opportunity for me to tell stories in paint.
Matthew Krishanu, from an interview to Meer
Born in 1980 in Bradford, England, to an Indian mother and an English father, Matthew Krishanu spent significant parts of his childhood in Bangladesh. His life, punctuated by annual visits to his mother's family in India and extended stays in the UK, gave him the feeling of perpetually being between countries, exposing Krishanu to various cultures and norms, allowing him to maintain a degree of detachment from them, and leaving him with a sense of being to each culture something of an outsider.
Krishanu studied Fine Art and English Literature at the University of Exeter and later completed his master's in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins. His work has been exhibited extensively in the UK and internationally, including Mumbai, Delhi, New York and Berlin, featuring in prestigious collections such as the Arts Council Collection, London; Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery; Government Art Collection, UK; Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi, India; and Komechak Art Gallery, Chicago.
I’m interested in knitting together a visual language from the history of painting – I’m very aware that any painting I put into the world will be read in relation to that history.
Matthew Krishanu, from an interview to Studio International
Krishanu’s choice of painting as his medium is rooted in its capacity for freedom and exploration. Initially a sculptor, Matthew shifted to painting during the final months at Exeter University, when he discovered that painting allowed him to communicate more effectively. This transition opened a new world of imagination, enabling him to cross all sorts of diverse themes.
In his world, delicate layers of paint blend with striking, confident strokes. Through the articulated disinterest in backstories which, in his opinion, detract from the artwork's intrigue, he creates a space within his paintings in which viewers can immerse themselves rather than focusing on the precise historical or personal details behind them.
Krishanu's relationship with memory is central to his art: he views it as a means to restructure and reimagine the past, transforming photographs and memories into something new on canvas, to create a depiction that resembles another world, one distinct from a photographic reality.
I’ve always liked the idea that our past selves continue to exist as if in a foreign land. With that in mind, the paintings are like windows onto the past, animated in paint.
Matthew Krishanu, from an interview to ART UK
In his workshop, he carefully chooses colors and brushes, frequently employing more than 30 brushes in a single session to achieve greater control over the mood and tone of the painting. While he draws inspiration from the colors in photographs, he does not strictly adhere to them, often adjusting contrasts or enhancing tonal relationships to suit the needs of the art piece in question. Ultimately, his palette stays true to the hues typical of a subtropical climate, though occasionally he mutes colors to convey a sense of melancholy.
When working from a photograph, Krishanu frequently alters the original content by adjusting the scale or number of figures, reconfiguring the landscape, or modifying the color intensity, prioritizing overall ambiance over specific details. He is particularly interested in how viewers interpret his paintings in terms of their atmospheric, emotional, and narrative qualities, which can significantly differ from his initial memory.
When I saw children looking at my paintings in the Midlands Arts Centre, I realised that the painted boys could become their avatars – they allow the viewer to project themselves into the painting and it’s that projection which I’m most interested in.
Matthew Krishanu, from an interview to Studio International
Тhe tiny figures of boys in the three paintings, climbing the grand silhouettes of banyan trees, create an atmosphere of both loneliness and serenity. Tiny figures of careless children against the background of this huge, endless, and unpredictable world.
Paintings exhibited at Tanya Leighton Gallery.
Matthew Krishanu
Banyan (Two Boys, Looking), 2023
Oil on canvas
100x80 cm
39 3/8x31 1/2 in
Matthew Krishanu
Banyan (Boy, Balancing), 2023
Oil on canvas
100x80 cm
39 3/8x31 1/2 in
Matthew Krishanu
Banyan (Boy in Blue), 2023
Oil on canvas
100x80 cm
39 3/8x31 1/2 in
