Bradford-born artist shortlisted for Griffin Art Prize

Matthew Krishanu has been named alongside nine other young artists on the shortlist for the Griffin Art Prize, which honours British artists who have graduated from art school in the last five years.

Mr Krishanu was born in Bradford but moved with his family to Dhaka, Bangladesh, when he was two. It is the ten years he spent living in the country that inspires much of his painting.

The ten shortlisted artists will all have their work displayed in an exhibition at the Griffin Gallery in West London, which opens on November 18. The winner will be announced on the opening night and will win a six-month residency at the gallery, a solo exhibition and art materials.

Mr Krishanu, 34, said: “In a way, all the shortlisted artists are winners because we all get to show in the exhibition - and that’s what we want, for people to see our work.”

The prize is judged by Alastair Smart, arts editor and chief art critic at The Sunday Telegraph, Jenny Lindén, owner and chairman of Lindéngruppen, Jenni Lomax, director of Camden Arts Centre, and international artists Gordon Cheung and Anj Smith.

Mr Krishanu, who graduated with a MA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 2009, added: “I very much respect the judges, especially Gordon Cheung and Jenni Lomax, so it really is a highlight to be selected for the shortlist.”

Previous winners include 2012’s Alzbeta Jaresova, who was included in the 2013 Catlin Guide to the 40 most promising new graduate UK artists, and Luke George and Elizabeth Rose, who picked up the prize last year.

Some of Mr Krishanu’s work can be seen in Huddersfield Art Gallery’s Contemporary British painting exhibition, which opens on November 1. During the summer he exhibited at the Dean Clough gallery in Halifax.

Mr Krishanu’s work can be seen on the Griffin Art Prize website.