View works. SHILPI DEB
View works
 
Born in 1995, Kenyan-Indian artist, Shilpi Deb, investigates ideas of identity and belonging. The anthropological aspect of her practice begins and ends with assemblages of opaque to translucent layered figures. In some works they appear almost ghost-like - created with veils of either colour or black and white. As Shilpi says of her work, “I create beings with an opaque strong core, surrounded by fuzzy or sheer auras - usually performing everyday acts of collecting, spilling, interacting, undressing, for example…” The tribal tone of her compositions presents a powerful, symbolic depiction of the figure representing community, interconnectedness and embodiment of spiritual concepts or psychological states.
 
Her process of building a narrative within each of her compositions begins with figures disappearing into backgrounds and vice-versa; a depiction of morphing between interior and exterior influences in the context of identity and an exploration into a more profound viewpoint that moves beyond physical parameters to an ephemeral shift-and-flow fostered by her own investigations into identity and how it behaves as either a rigid or pliable force.
 
Shilpi lives and works between Nairobi and London. She studied at Sir JJ School of Art in Mumbai where she achieved a first class BFA (Bachelor of Fine Art) in portraiture, drawing, art history and aesthetics. Since graduating she has exhibited at Kenya’s National Museum and Circle Art Gallery alongside galleries in London, India and Japan. Her work is held in private collections in Kenya, UK, Switzerland and Dubai. 
 

Selection of recent group and solo exhibitions include:  

Winter Show , Orleans House Gallery, London (2026); Open Studio Exhibition, Orleans House Gallery, London (2025); Open, solo show, Munyu Space, Nairobi, Kenya (2025); Winter Exhitibion, group show, Orleans House – Stable Gallery, London (2025); Hidden Treasures, group show, GravitArt Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya (2024); Open Studio Exhitibion, Orleans House Gallery, London (2024); Public, group show, Shapes and Things Gallery, London (2024); The State Between Loss & Discovery, group show, Insistrum X Hypha Studios, Reading, UK (2023); Winter Exhibition, group show, Orleans House – Stable Gallery, London (2023); Art Fusion Exhibition, group show, Ardhi Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya (2023); An5-fragile, group show, Circle Art Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya (2023); Behind This Face 2, group show, GravitArt Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya (2023); Her Story, Alliance Francaise de Nairobi, Kenya (2023); Ongoing Display, Kioko MwiKki Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya (2020 – 2023); CHA, solo show, Arts Itoya Gallery, Takeo, Japan (2020); Nairobi National Museum, Kenya (2020); Kenya Arts Diary 2020, The King Post, Nairobi, Kenya; Kenya Arts Diary 2020 Launch, Heinrich Böll Stifung, Nairobi, Kenya; SOLO,  solo show, The Talisman, Nairobi, Kenya (2020); Miscellaneous, Kioko Mwitiki Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya (2020); Geographies of Consumption,  Game Over Company, Mohile Parikh Centre, Mumbai, India (2019). 

 

Awards:

  •  Special Mention - CREAopen 2026 - Quality of Research Award and Shortlist for  - CREA CanKeri del Contemporaneo Venice (2026).
  • Shortlist  - for Cannes Lions See It Be It Programme, Cannes, France (2025).
  • (Community project with associated awards) Lead Artist and Researcher  -  Lesso Lessons (2022).
  • Cannes Lions Gold - Design / Special Edition and Bespoke Items ( First for East, West and Central Africa) Cannes, France (2022).
  • WARC Gold - Cultural Impact (First for Africa) London (2022).
  • D&AD Yellow Pencil - Graphic Design/ Applied Print Graphics, (First for East, West, North and Central Africa) London (2022).
  • Loeries Grand Prix - Out of home ambient, Cape Town, South Africa (2022).
  • Loeries Gold - Out of home ambient, Cape Town, South Africa (2022).
  • Loeries Gold - Out of home Craft, Art Direction, Cape Town, South Africa (2022).
  • Loeries Silver - Media Innovation, Cape Town, South Africa (2022).
  • (LIAS) London International Awards -  Bronze - Health & Wellness, UK (2022).
  • One Show Silver - Art and Design / Illustration, NY, USA (2022).
  • One Show Merit - Out of home series, NY, USA (2022).
  • One Show Merit - Art direction / Health and Wellness, NY, USA (2022).
  • Clio Health Gold - Image Creation, NY, USA (2022).
  • Clio Health Silver – Guerrilla, NY, USA (2022).
  • African Cristal Awards Gold - Best in craft for Kreo Artwork (2019).
  • African Cristal Awards Silver - Print category for Kreo Artwork (2019).