Matthew Krishanu
On a Limb
Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai

Over the years, Matthew Krishanu has divulged enough of his life to have his experiences inform his paintings. Onto Krishanu’s landscapes, for instance, we project the knowledge that he grew up in Bangladesh, where his British father worked as a Christian minister, or that every year he would visit India with his Bengali mother. And although the figures representing the artist and his family are pared down, Krishanu’s minimalistic, child-like style complements the period of his life he draws from.

While the autobiographical matters—the paintings are based on Krishanu’s memories and photographic records—there is little preoccupation with authenticity. Most scenes he constructs are not exact recreations and anecdotes are seldom made available to the viewer, turning these assemblies into vessels for our imagination. We enter through the autobiographical and leap into the unknown, as places do not look like they should: certain details are magnified to the point that they acquire an emotional charge, particular to what painting makes possible. We notice application and brushwork as much as setting and subject, causing drips, spills, and smooth, opaque forms of the body to also capture our attention. The painterliness locates the viewer in the present—the artist is not only remembering his past, but also demonstrating his current interest in power and politics.