Riyas Komu is trained as a painter though he successfully explores a diverse group of media including sculpture, photography and video installation. His paintings were most recently featured in the Arsenale of the 52nd Venice Biennale, 2007. Typically, these paintings are large scale portraits that posses an inherent political or social agenda. Komu's portraits are comprised of randomly chosen images from the media and are intended to convey the angst and frustration felt by the common man in regions experiencing strife and unrest. Although his paintings are disquieting and draw the viewer into a miasma of desolation, the final and underlying current is one which celebrates the resilience of common man.