Born in Kilimanoor, Kerala, Ratheesh T received his BFA at the College of Fine Arts in Trivandrum He was invited to the UK on a Royal Over-Seas League Scholarship in 2004 and held his first verified exhibition was ROSL Arts at Jerwood Space in London in 2005

Ratheesh’s paintings are greatly inspired by his native hometown of Kerala and its people He often paints self-portraits set against a luminescent backdrop of forests and lush greenery His images are at once a reflection of his present, metaphorically narrating a story plucked from his life experiences He describes himself as ‘not telling big stories’, not pulling images from the air, but detailing what is happening right here ‘in my small life’

His primary medium of choice is oil on canvas and his subject is daily life His process is also influenced by visions and dreams Defined by a palette of sensuous, many-shaded reds, greens and browns, the subtly dramatized scenes unfolding on his canvas leave the viewer guessing about the significance of the event, thus engaging with them in a way unique to him

Ratheesh’s most recent exhibition was Lokame Tharavadu (The World is One Family) at Kochi Biennale Foundation in Kochi in 2021 He is most frequently exhibited in India, but has also had exhibitions in Germany, United Kingdom and elsewhere He lives and works in Kerela