Vogue India June 2019

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98 VOGUEINDIAJUNE 2019 http://www.vogue.in

COURTESY

PRUDENCE

COMING

ASSOCIATES;

RAQIB

SHAW

AND

PACE

Butintheincreasinglyconceptualand GALLERY

minimalartlandscapeof today,Shaw’s

maximalist aesthetic is not just re-

freshingbut alsooddlyrelevant. The

artistexplains,“Thenotionof so-called

excesscarrieswithit a senseof irrever-

encetowardswhatis heldpreciousby

many.Itcanalsobea catharticjour-

ney to overloadthe senses until the

voidis revealedthatgoesbeyond the

representation...almost like finding

solace and rhythm while living in a

perpetually erratic and noisy world

andbeingabletomakesenseofone’s

existence through self-reflection and

internalsilence.”>

Anencounterwitha RaqibShawmas-

terpiece goessomething like this. At

first, you’re drawn intoitsdistracting

beauty.Imaginea high-octanesenso-

rialorgasmicrush.Butastheminutes

mount,echoesofJamavarsandJapa-

nesecloisonné,ofWagneroperasand

Boschmasterpiecesemerge.Andthen

a complexuniverseis revealedof satire

andironyalongsidethegrotesqueand

provocative.Yourinnermonologueis

challenged,andyou’reimmersedinto

Shaw’sfantasticalyetveryrealworld.

Ina phrase,you’rehooked!

Nosurprise,he’soneoftheworld’s

leading Contemporary artists today.

Framedin decadenceand

fantasy,thisartistdecodes

hishybridgazeintoa new

Renaissanceofdiversity

RAQIBSHAW

Shaw’sTheMartyrdomOfIcarus:After

HonthorstAndCarracci(2018-19)