About
Shibu Arakkal is a an award winning photo-artist who has garnered international respect for his conceptual photographic art and a unique philosophical viewpoint which unify a diverse range of works shown in over 50 exhibitions, spanning a career of nearly 25 years. His work embraces abstraction, minimalism and Zen philosophy, whilst merging analogue and digital photographic techniques of printmaking in a very unique and unconventional style. Every work articulates a depth of thought that is meant to resonate with the viewer and the artist’s conviction that his subject and he have found a way to converse through the medium of photography.
Arakkal is one of the few Indians to have been awarded the prestigious ‘Lorenzo il Magnifico’ Gold Prize in Digital Art for his work from ‘Constructing Life’ at the Florence Biennale 2013 in Italy.
In 2014, Arakkal coined the term ‘iPhonography’ – the medium of digital photography using the iPhone and the resultant photographs as ‘iPhonographs’. A hashtag that accounts for over 7.5 million posts today on Instagram alone. His creation of iPhonographic art is technologically experimental, even internationally, continually pushing the boundaries of cutting-edge image creation and printing techniques.
Arakkal has the heart of a painter and the mind of a photographer; which is evident in his work, leaving the viewer to navigate the complex lines of the seen and the unseen.
His works today are a part of private and institutional collections across India, China, Singapore, Australia, Italy and New York.

Biography
- 2013 December : ‘Lorenzo il Magnifico’ Gold Prize in Digital Art, Florence Biennale, Italy
- 2005 : First Place Award, Photography, The Arad International Biennale, Romania
- 2012 May-June : Solo Show ‘Dualità’, Palazzo Bonfranceschi, Belforte del Chienti, Italy
- 2007 August-September : Group Show ‘Emerging India’, The Royal College of Art, London
- 2015 February : Represented in India Art Fair New Delhi, Galerie Baudoin Lebon Paris
- 2018 May : International group exhibition ‘Water for Life’, Niagara Falls History Museum, Canada
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1994 : Graduated as Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Political Science & Sociology, St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore
1994 : Studied digital media, Edit Institute, Bangalore
1993 : Apprenticed in photography under Sudhir Ramchandran and Rafique Sayed
Solo Exhibitions
2001 June : ‘Off the Shadow’, Sakshi Gallery, Bangalore
2005 March : ‘Been There’, Galerie Sara Arakkal, Bangalore
2005 April : ‘Been There’, Gallery Beyond, Mumbai
2006 November : ‘Abstract Notions’, Galerie Sara Arakkal, Bangalore
2007 January : ‘Abstract Notions’, Kitab Mahal, Mumbai
2007 February : ‘Abstract Notions’, Art n Soul, New Delhi
2009 April : ‘Skin’, WelcomArt Gallery, ITC Windsor, Bangalore
2009 April : ‘Skin, Online show, www.indianartcollectors.com
2009 August : ‘Eiffel O’Seven’, Alliance Francaise de Bombay, Mumbai
2009 August-October : ‘Feeling Absence’, Gallery Caperberry, Bangalore
2009 September : ‘Eiffel O’Seven’, Gallery Time and Space, Bangalore
2010 September : ‘Passing by’, Sublime Galleria, UB City, Bangalore
2012 May-June : ‘Off the Shadow’, The MIDAC Museum, Belforte del Chienti, Italy
2012 May-June : ‘Dualità’, Palazzo Bonfranceschi, Belforte del Chienti, Italy
2012 August : ‘Finding Nowhere’, KYNKYNY Art, Bangalore
2014 February : ‘Journey Thus Far’, Mahua, Bangalore
2017 September : ‘Four’, Gallery Time & Space, Bangalore
2019 September : ‘Mallaah’, Gallery G, Bangalore
Selected Group Exhibitions
2004 June : Conceptualised, Curated and Participated, ‘Chapter One’ with Rafique Sayed and Azis T.M., Gallery Beyond, Mumbai
2004 July-August : ‘Ventipertrenta 04’ – International Festival of Digital Art, Italy
2004 December : The National Exhibition Of Art, Lucknow
2005 June : The Arad International Biennale, Arad, Romania
2005 October : ‘100 Contemporary Indian Artists 2005’, ‘Joss’, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai
2006 May : ‘Metrospective’, Alliance Francaise De Delhi
2006 April : ‘Impressions Of India’, The Pavilion, Singapore
2006 July-September : ‘The Monsoon Chapter’, Alliance Francaise de Delhi & Gallery Art and Soul, New Delhi
2006 November : ‘Digressing Domains’, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
2007 April : Bangalore Photography Festival, The Leela, Bangalore
2007 April : Group show, The Elle Breast Cancer Carnival, Taj West End, Bangalore
2007 August : ‘Monsoon Light’, Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi
2007 August-September : ‘Emerging India’, The Royal College of Art, London
2007 October-November : ‘Colours Of Art’, The Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai & Stainless Art Gallery, New Delhi
2007 November : Preview, Indian Artists, Adana Biennale of Contemporary Art, The Royal Orchid Hotel, Bangalore
2007 December : ‘Art In Step’, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
2009 January : ‘Concrescence’, Gallery Beyond, Mumbai
2009 November : ‘Living Art Expanse’, Galerie De’Arts, New Delhi
2010 January : ‘Streets’, Venkatappa Art Gallery, Bangalore
2010 March : Khushii’s ‘Art Loot’, New Delhi
2011 June : ‘Art Bengaluru’, UB City, Bangalore
2011 November : India Art Festival, Mumbai
2012 April : ‘Two’, Galerie De’Arts, Bangalore
2012 May : Hong Kong Contemporary, The Park Lane Hong Kong
2012 October : 40th Anniversary Show, Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai
2012 November : India Art Festival, Mumbai
2013 December : ‘Duality’, India Art Festival, Mumbai
2015 February : India Art Fair, Galerie Baudoin Lebon, New Delhi
2016 September : ‘Healing Nature : Restoring Balances, Gallery Time & Space, Bangalore
2016 September : ‘Ways of Seeing’, Art Houz, Bangalore
2018 May : International Group Show ‘Water for Life’, Niagara Falls History Museum, Canada
2019 July-August : ‘Skin : The Finer Nuance’, Threshold Art Gallery, New Delhi
Collections
Works in Private and Institutional Collections in Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, China, Singapore, Australia and New York.
Residencies
2012 May-June : Held a Short-Term Artistic Residency in Palazzo Bonfranceschi, Belforte del Chienti, Italy
Workshops
2019 April : ‘Photography the Smartphone Way’ Workshop | Embassy BLVD Club Bangalore
2019 March : ‘Life Imitates Art’ Audiovisual Talk | Ekya School Bangalore
2005 January : Participated, Artists’ workshop, Tsunami relief, Bangalore
2005 : Participated, Artists’ workshop, Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia
2008 March : Participated, Artists’ workshop, Ramganga, Uttaranchal
2011 February: Conducted ‘Introduction to Photo Art’ workshop, NGMA Bengaluru
2014 July : Conducted an audio visual talk ‘Essence of Photography’, NGMA Bengaluru
2015 February : Conducted talk on smartphone photography, Taj Kuteeram, Bangalore
Awards
2004 July-August : Fifth place, ‘Ventipertrenta 04’ – International digital art festival, Italy
2005 : First place, photography, The Arad International Biennale, Romania
2011 December : First place, ‘Ventipertrenta 2011’ – International Jury, International digital art festival, Italy
Travels
USA, England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, Greece, Scotland, Turkey, Russia, Dubai, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Thailand, Bhutan, Nepal and Many Parts of India.
Lives and works in Bangalore, India.
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