Painter

Raqib Shaw

Raqib Shaw is an Indian painter known for detailed scenes using industrial enamel, metallic paint, and raised acrylic liner, often echoing Old Masters.

Raqib Shaw quick facts

Shaw's densely detailed paintings combine industrial enamel, metallic paint, raised acrylic liner, and Old Master references to create jeweled surfaces.

Raqib Shaw quick facts
Full name	Raqib Shaw
Born	1974 · Kolkata, India
Died	—
Nationality	Indian
Movements	—
Paint types	Alkyd paint · Enamel paint · Acrylic liner paint · Metallic industrial paint
Other media	—
Other materials	—
Painting surfaces	Aluminum · Wood panels · Plywood · Paper
Painting methods	Builds raised outlines, then places and manipulates viscous enamel within tiny enclosed areas using fine tools such as syringes, pins, and porcupine quills; museum documentation also notes metallic industrial paints in his material vocabulary
Common subjects	Kashmir memories, Old Master compositions, fantasy, self-portraiture, animals, and ornate narrative scenes
Notable works	Untitled (2004) and Arrival of the Horse King from the series Paradise Lost (2011–12)

Sources: National Galleries of Scotland, National Galleries of Scotland: technique, The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Raqib Shaw, MoMA: Untitled (2004), Phillips: Arrival of the Horse King from the series Paradise Lost, Pace Gallery artist record, and Pace Gallery.

Paint types used by Raqib Shaw

MoMA documents alkyd in Shaw's Untitled (2004), alongside glitter, pencil, and rhinestones that give the work its distinctive jeweled surface.

Alkyd paint

MoMA records Shaw’s Untitled (2004) as alkyd, glitter, pencil, and rhinestones on paper. Alkyd is the paint binder; glitter and rhinestones are attached embellishments, while pencil is drawing media. This specific sheet documents his jewel-like mixed-material surfaces without treating the additions as paint.

Sources: MoMA: Untitled (2004).; National Galleries of Scotland: Raqib Shaw; The Met: Raqib Shaw

Painting surfaces used by Raqib Shaw

Documented works by Raqib Shaw use Aluminum and Wood, with examples clarifying when a material is painted ground, backing, or part of a constructed work.

Aluminum

Shaw’s enamel paintings use aluminum panels, a rigid reflective support. The hard metal carries layered, jewel-like decoration and gives the surface a reflective ground distinct from paper and wood. Museum records document painted panels where aluminum is the support, separate from metal embellishments.
Wood

Shaw also paints on wood panels, building intricate surfaces from layered paint, glitter, and rhinestones. The rigid support carries his densely ornamented compositions, contrasting with the paper works where he combines alkyd with attached embellishments. The record identifies the panel as part of the painted construction.
Plywood

Shaw uses plywood as a support for larger painted works, taking advantage of its stable, rigid construction. The panel carries his densely layered, jewel-like surfaces, distinct from paper works and aluminum panels; source-specific examples should be understood as individual supports.
Paper

Raqib Shaw’s Untitled (2004), recorded by MoMA as alkyd, glitter, pencil, and rhinestones on paper, documents the sheet as an immediate painted support. This flexible surface carries paint, drawing, and attached ornament together. The collection record names the sheet as the work’s documented support.