Raghava KK's paintings and drawings use cartoonish shapes and colors to examine the body, society, our world.

Why you should listen

Raghava KK began his career in art as a newspaper cartoonist, and the cartoonist’s bold line -- and dead-on eye for truth -- still powers his art. His work spans painting, sculpture, installation, film and iPad art, always linked by his challenging opinions on identity, conformity, gender, celebrity, ceremony. (He even views his lavish Indian wedding as a piece of performance art.)

His early work as a painter made a complete break with his cartoon career -- he painted watercolors on canvas using only his hands and feet. Since then, his work has grown to knit together aesthetics from both worlds, as collage and complication play against flat color and precise lines. He shows in galleries and performance spaces around the world and often collaborates with other artists, most recently with musicians Paul Simon and Erykah Badu.  In 2011, he launched his children's iPad book, Pop-it, shaking up the concept  of an ideal family. He is currently working on a project that promises to shake up everything! From news to education.

Raghava KK’s TED talks

More news and ideas from Raghava KK

Entertainment

Your mega summer reading list: 200 books recommended by TEDsters

May 31, 2013

Books can entertain, sucking you like a tornado into incredible new worlds. Books can teach, giving you a richer understanding of time periods, people and ideas you’ve never been exposed to. But books can do so much more. In today’s talk, TED’s own Lisa Bu introduces us to the concept of “comparative reading,” the practice […]

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Art

Mona Lisa 2.0: Raghava KK at TED2013

February 28, 2013

No stranger to the TED stage, Raghava KK returns with exciting updates on his work. Raghava is experimenting with EEG headsets that use brain waves to bring new, dynamic perspectives into his work. His upcoming works include: Mona Lisa 2.0, whose face changes based on Raghava’s mood; a depiction of Gandhi that changes based on […]

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