Ria Shanker is what you would call a global citizen.Originally from India, she has lived most of her life

in the Middle East; in Bahrain and more recently in Dubai. Growing up, she has had the opportunity to get exposed to a melting pot of cultures in the region, each with a unique quality or experience to influence what would eventually become her creative expression.

 

Ria’s signature style is inspired by her heritage. As a young girl visiting her grandmother and great g

randmother in India’s eastern state of Orissa, she would watch in awe as they drew beautiful intricate patterns with semi liquid rice paste on the entrance to the family temple. These patterns left a lasting impression and what originated from those temple steps made its way into a school girl’s notebook and eventually formed part of the creative signature in all her artworks.

 

The artist has alwa

ys felt passionately about the strength of women in every culture and the close bond they share with nature. The complexity of the mind, emotions and intuition

are common subjects of her work – a homage to the wonders of nature and women alike.

To the viewers of her art, Ria

hopes to give pause for a thought. A thought about how life’s ever evolving story has so much to learn from and that in itself is the world’s greatest expression of creativity.