The exhibit of the 100 foot wide painting Paradise Lost will be at the Art Institute in Chicago until January 2026. This is the first time all of the 21-panel painting is being displayed together.
The painting (2009-2025) is autobiographical and traces the artists experience from his childhood in Kashmir to his life in London,
It ireflects on many "paradises lost" in a lifetime, such as childhood innocence, creative freedom, and a sense of cultural belonging. I couldn't resist sharing numerous photos so that you can look closely at the details.
The Technique: Shaw's unique artistic style involves using enamel paints, which he applies with needle-fine syringes and a porcupine quill. The work also incorporates glitter and inset rhinestones, giving it a jewel-like and opulent quality.
Raqib Shaw
Paradise Lost
Raqib Shaw
Calcutta, India, born 1974, lives
in London
Paradise Lost
2003-2005
Acrylic liner, acrylic paint, oil paint,
enamel, glitter, and rhinestones on
birch wood
Collection of the artist
Studio love
Raqib Shaw's Paradise Lost takes the viewer on an epic and tumultuous
journey that represents the very nature and breadth of human existence.
The painting unfolds across more than 100 feet, revealing from left to
right what the artist calls "my journey from youth to decrepitude and
death and beyond," and tracing the traumas and triumphs of his life.
Shaw originally conceived of Paradise Lost as an art student and has
said he will be working on it for the rest of his life.
Shaw spent his childhood in Kashmir, the Himalayan valley known for
its ethereal beauty. In 1989 militant-led violence erupted in the region.
This led Shaw, then 16, to flee. He has never returned, but the landscape
remains fixed in his memory, its allure tinged with pain. Self-portraits
and avatars of Shaw appear throughout the work, in the form of
animal-headed creatures, as mythological figures, and as expressive faces
disguised in the sea, trees, and skies. Throughout the work, he has
embedded literary and art historical references drawn from cultures across
the East and West. The title Paradise Lost comes from John Milton's
17th-century epic poem and recalls descriptions of Kashmir as paradise
on earth. Ultimately, the work represents Shaw's emotional saga of loss
and exile and his stoic acceptance of life itself.
Generous support for Raqib Shaw: Paradise Lost is provided by Usha and Lakshmi Mittal.
Information provided by Raqib Shaw: Paradise Lost | The Art Institute of Chicago https://share.google/LG14KPeQFPLNCUQAJ
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