Ria Shanker
Ria Shanker’s international heritage inspires her signature aesthetic style. She describes herself as ‘a global citizen’. Originally from India, she spent most of her life in the Middle East; in Bahrain and recently, in Dubai. Her background is a melting pot of cultures with unique qualities, which influenced what would become her creative expression. As a child visiting her family in Orissa, India, she would watch in awe as they drew beautiful intricate patterns with semi-liquid rice paste on the entrance to the family temple. These patterns left a lasting impression and eventually formed part of the creative signature in her artworks.
Ria is fascinated by the strength of women of different cultures and the close bond they share with creation. The complexity of the mind, emotions and intuition are common subjects of her work - a homage to the wonders of nature and women alike. She considers this to be beauty in its most natural form. Her artwork aims to encourage the viewer to pause for thought and contemplate life’s endless opportunities for learning and how this can be interpreted as an expression of creativity.
She has produced a series of artworks to accompany songs by a leading singer in India, Sona Mohapatra. Ria has collaborated with a boutique concept store in Dubai to reimagine her art into merchandise and soft furnishings for private residences and hotel interiors. Her artwork was exhibited in Milan, Italy in September 2020.
