'The Bough Breaks' at Camden Art Centre is a major solo exhibition by Matthew Krishanu (b.1980, Bradford, UK) presenting a body of new work, including paintings and works on paper that form the expansive world of his artistic practice.
Krishanu paints atmospheric, pared-back compositions including scenes from the artist’s life, particularly his childhood years in Bangladesh growing up with his brother, and their parents - a British Christian missionary and an Indian theologian.
In the paintings, seemingly familiar narratives are alluded to but destabilised. The viewer’s own projections are called upon to fulfil the interpretive loop, raising questions about childhood, religion, race, power, and the legacies of empire.
This film was produced by Reynir Hutber on the occasion of 'The Bough Breaks' by Matthew Krishanu, at Camden Art Centre, 2024.