Riyas Komu

Artville Aritst Of The Day
Riyas Komu
Oxygen - An Illusion
2002
Oil, enamel and marble grain on canvas
41.5 in x 65.5 in
Riyas Komu was born in 1971 in Kerala, and moved to Mumbai in 1992 to study literature. Dropping out during his final year, Komu eventually obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Fine Art from the Sir J. J. School of Art in 1997 and 1999 respectively. Since his graduation, Komu has been constantly asserting and pushing himself with a strong body of work.

The artist’s oeuvre, spanning several different media and genres, is particularly noticed for its strong political overtones. His paintings, to put it in his own words, carry a protest symbol one way or the other. He has remarked, “I strongly feel it is my duty to be political. I believe that my paintings should look back at the viewer rather than just tell a story or hang on the wall.”

Influenced by his father’s political leanings and his own brief associations with political student groups, Komu is keen on using his work to “ring alarm bells” about the explosive urban situation he encountered in Mumbai. His body of work references the paradoxes of the urban situation, where on one hand, there is glamour, and on the other, abject poverty. Creating his pieces with equal doses of compassion and cynicism, Komu’s work reflects both hope and dejection – a tribute to the spirit of all those who continue to survive the city and its paradoxes.
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