Krishna Shanthi is a designer, artist, contemporary arts curator and critical & theoretical lecturer based in London. He uses graphic design, research and criticism to visually communicate ideas of everyday human experience (in and out of linear perspective) and cultural sustainability. In his visual art, he creates representation of hybrid identities through mixing concepts and materials relating to Hindu epics and myths, comic-book superheroes and Disney princesses; images and text intertwine to narrate a collection of diverse cultural references. He creates illustrations, collages, screen and Intaglio prints. He designs for books, magazines, posters, letters, marketing materials and websites. He mixes commissions with self-initiated projects.
He has a Master of Design degree from York University in Toronto, Canada and a Master of Arts degree in Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins, University of Arts London.
Designer
2023 – present, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London UK
2021 – 2023, Natural History Museum, London UK
2018 – 2021, Banham Group, London UK
Exhibition as Curator
2022, THE BLUE, THE PINK, THE IMMATERIAL, THE VOID, Austrian Cultural Forum London, London UK
2020, No horizon, no edge to Liquid, Zablduowicz Collection, London UK
2019, we [ breathe ] in the space between, Artists Studio Company MIR Project Space – Former Rotherhithe Police Station, London UK
2019, Radio as Current: Fred Hunter, Central Saint Martins Window Gallery, London UK
Exhibition as Artist
2023, Queeriosities Art + Makers Fair, Musuem of the Home, London, UK
2023, A to Zine, Queercircle, London UK
2022, Annual Open Exhibition, Southwark Park Galleries, London UK
2022, Queer Art(ists) Now, Space Station Sixty-Five, London UK
2020, Taking Up Space, LOADED 2020, Brighton CCA, Brighton UK
2019, Strange Encounters (solo-show), Central Saint Martins SU Project Space, London UK
2018, Fikra Graphic Design Biennial 01, Sharjah, UAE
2015, Strange Encounters (solo-show), Samuel Zacks Gallery, Toronto, CA
Lecturer
2020 – Present, University of Arts London, London College of Communication, London UK
• Year 1, Contextual and Theoretical Studies
• Year 3, Contextual and Theoretical Studies, dissertation and project
2021, University of Brighton, visiting lecturer, Sustainable Design MA, Brighton UK
2021, University of Arts London, Central Saint Martins, London UK
2020, University of Brighton, visiting lecturer, Sustainable Design MA, Brighton UK
2020–2021, Brunel University, London UK
2015, York University, Toronto CA
Residency / Workshop
2022, Curator-in-Residence, Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien (Academy of Fine Arts Vienna), Vienna, AUST
2018, DesignInquiry, Devon UK
2017, Typography Summer School, London UK
2016, Frans Masereel Centrum, Belgium
2016, A-B-Z-TXT (A School for 21st Century Typography), Toronto CA
2014, DesignInquiry, Maine USA
Conference / Artist Talk
2022, Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien (Academy of Fine Arts Vienna), Vienna AUST
2022, Critical Forum, London College of Communication, London UK
2019, Design Research for Change, Design Museum, London UK
2018, Swiss Design Network, Basel SWI
2016, The International Conference on Design History and Design Studies, Taipei TW
2015, Academy of Design—Northumbria University Newcastle, Colombo SL
2015, AIGA Design Educators Conference, Toronto CA
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k(at)bkrishna.com
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He has a Master of Design degree from York University in Toronto, Canada and a Master of Arts degree in Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins, University of Arts London.
Designer
2023 – present, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London UK
2021 – 2023, Natural History Museum, London UK
2018 – 2021, Banham Group, London UK
Exhibition as Curator
2022, THE BLUE, THE PINK, THE IMMATERIAL, THE VOID, Austrian Cultural Forum London, London UK
2020, No horizon, no edge to Liquid, Zablduowicz Collection, London UK
2019, we [ breathe ] in the space between, Artists Studio Company MIR Project Space – Former Rotherhithe Police Station, London UK
2019, Radio as Current: Fred Hunter, Central Saint Martins Window Gallery, London UK
Exhibition as Artist
2023, Queeriosities Art + Makers Fair, Musuem of the Home, London, UK
2023, A to Zine, Queercircle, London UK
2022, Annual Open Exhibition, Southwark Park Galleries, London UK
2022, Queer Art(ists) Now, Space Station Sixty-Five, London UK
2020, Taking Up Space, LOADED 2020, Brighton CCA, Brighton UK
2019, Strange Encounters (solo-show), Central Saint Martins SU Project Space, London UK
2018, Fikra Graphic Design Biennial 01, Sharjah, UAE
2015, Strange Encounters (solo-show), Samuel Zacks Gallery, Toronto, CA
Lecturer
2020 – Present, University of Arts London, London College of Communication, London UK
• Year 1, Contextual and Theoretical Studies
• Year 3, Contextual and Theoretical Studies, dissertation and project
2021, University of Brighton, visiting lecturer, Sustainable Design MA, Brighton UK
2021, University of Arts London, Central Saint Martins, London UK
2020, University of Brighton, visiting lecturer, Sustainable Design MA, Brighton UK
2020–2021, Brunel University, London UK
2015, York University, Toronto CA
Residency / Workshop
2022, Curator-in-Residence, Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien (Academy of Fine Arts Vienna), Vienna, AUST
2018, DesignInquiry, Devon UK
2017, Typography Summer School, London UK
2016, Frans Masereel Centrum, Belgium
2016, A-B-Z-TXT (A School for 21st Century Typography), Toronto CA
2014, DesignInquiry, Maine USA
Conference / Artist Talk
2022, Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien (Academy of Fine Arts Vienna), Vienna AUST
2022, Critical Forum, London College of Communication, London UK
2019, Design Research for Change, Design Museum, London UK
2018, Swiss Design Network, Basel SWI
2016, The International Conference on Design History and Design Studies, Taipei TW
2015, Academy of Design—Northumbria University Newcastle, Colombo SL
2015, AIGA Design Educators Conference, Toronto CA
—
k(at)bkrishna.com
︎ ︎ ︎