About
b. 1991.
Louis's work explores the city, people and their behaviour. He draws the mental, social and physical worlds and how they interact. He uses figurative compositions, fine lines, contemporary portraiture, mnemonic cityscapes and social phenomena to hold a mirror up to society.
He draws primarially from imagination, without the aid of reference photographs. His drawing techniques is advances the interwoven visual language traditions of East London contemporary fine art to effectively unpick the modern moral issues we face in society today. Considering drawings as disegno: "the father of the three arts of architecture, sculpture, and painting." his drawing ‘technique draws upon traditions of scientific illustration, printmaking, and architectural rendering, often using fine lines and grid-based tonal illusions to construct complex visual narratives.’ *
Louis’ builds from drawings and moves between disciplines as connected practice: visual artwork, spatial inteventions, social architecture and social theory. (See earlier work). In his paintings he traces the thresholds in perception and arcs in memory and the observable. Variances of Abstraction, figuration and colour relativity.
Louis studied Architecture at the University Of Sheffield, He completed a Postgrad at the Royal Drawing School (The Drawing Year) and recently had his Debut Solo Show in Christie’s, London.
References:
*Simona Dolari, PhD, Christie’s Senior Provenance Researcher, 2025
My work has been featured in La Venice Biennale's British Pavilion (2020). My debut Solo Show was in Christies london (2025) and i have won the Christies award(2023), I am in the Royal Collection(2023), An RBA Rising Stars Award(2024), have won an RIBA MacEwan Award for Architecture for Social Good(2017), a Civic Trust's People's Choice Award(2015), Civic trust best small projects award(2015), aswell as a World Architecture Festival award (high commendation) in the category of ‘rethink and renew’ (2012)
Some of my collectors include Manuella Wirth (Hauser & Wirth), George Clarke (Architect) and more.
I grew up in East London and was raised as a Hare Krishna, I studied architecture at the University of Sheffield and wrote my dissertation on the ancient Vedic art of architecture under Professor Peter Blundell Jones, who introduced me to the practice of social architecture, which is the view of architecture as a social science and anthroplogy.
I founded the Foodhall Project Sheffield (2015) and the National Food Service (2018) and spent seven years working alongside communities developing social architecture and social art projects, acting as a director for the organisation I founded.
I worked on the intersection between art and architecture for ten years. I created pavilions and large sculptural works internationally in several countries, including Villars Sur Ollon - Switzerland, Rijeka - Croatia, Frederica - Denmark, Nida - Lithuania. Worked in EASA as a Tutor and Moderator for conferences, I worked as the coordinator for the long live southbank undercroft restoration.
Worked with Studio Polpo: the UK’s first architectural social enterprise. Worked with Assemble on the early stage research for the House of Anetta Project and the formation of AB__, a new social architecture organisation.
Drawing was the underpinning of most projects, so i completed the Drawing Year to further advacne my skills.
I have recieved a Christies award to support a new body of work culminating in my.debut solo show in Christies London.
I founded the Foodhall Project Sheffield (2015) and the National Food Service (2018) and spent seven years working alongside communities developing social architecture and social art projects, acting as a director for the organisation I founded.
I worked on the intersection between art and architecture for ten years. I created pavilions and large sculptural works internationally in several countries, including Villars Sur Ollon - Switzerland, Rijeka - Croatia, Frederica - Denmark, Nida - Lithuania. Worked in EASA as a Tutor and Moderator for conferences, I worked as the coordinator for the long live southbank undercroft restoration.
In this time i worked with Studio Polpo, the Uk's first architecture Social enterprise.
Drawing was the underpinning of most projects, so i completed the Drawing Year to further advacne my skills.
I have recieved a Christies award to support a new body of work culminating in my.debut solo show in Christies London.
I have created a number of workshops around the philosophy of my work. This workshops includes in University of Sheffield, two weeks of workshops in the European Architecture Students Assembly, Arts council funded programmes and big lottery funded programmes.
I have delivered talks to various universities and educational initiatives about my work including the Helsinki Design Museum, KADK Denmark, AHRA Research Conference U.K., Kyushu University, Social Art Summit, School of the Damned, Democratic by design conference U.K, Sheffield University's festival of the Mind.
I have delivered talks to various universities and educational initiatives about my work including the Helsinki Design Museum, KADK Denmark, AHRA Research Conference U.K., Kyushu University, Social Art Summit, School of the Damned, Democratic by design conference U.K, Sheffield University's festival of the Mind.
2025
Christie's London Solo Show,
Artificial Show, Design Museum,
The Power of Drawing, Royal Drawing School,
Old Queen Street Gallery, Capital at Risk exhibtion,
Opening of the City Of Sanctuary, Sheffield,
2024
RBA rising stars Show Green Park, London,
Royal Drawing School Summer Show,
Whorl, Pulp collective Group show Stratford,
Apach Group Show Brixton,
Borgo Pignano Residency, Italy,
Dumfries house residency, Scotland,
2023
Christie’s, London, The Year in Drawing.
Royal Drawing School, The Drawing Year exhibition,
Space Studios Mare Street, Studio Show exhibition,
Manchester Contemporary, Collaborative piece exhibited with Seb Koseda,
Borgo Pignano, Italy, Oil paint landscape exhibition,
Bloc projects, EASA Commons exhibition,
House of Anetta - AB__ workshops, Presentations of the research and drawings.
2022
The Building Centre, Garden of privatised delights exhibition,
City of Sanctuary Sheffield (action-research exhibition),
Crucible Theatre Sheffield - Ark Sheffield, Audio recordings exhibition and stage discussion,
Brown Street, Newhall - action-research exhibition.
Newhall Sheffield, launch,
2020
Venice Biennale, The Garden of Privatised Delights feature in the Studio Polpo pavilion.
REALITY, KRAGUJEVAC, Serbia
2019
Social sculpture, Lates gallery (arts council funded series curation and exhibition)
Patch of grass public exhibition - Sheffield town hall.
TOURIST, Villars Sur Orlon, Switzerland,
Long Live South Bank restoration, Southbank centre,
Lates’ workshop exhibition.
2018
Festival of the Mind, Sheffield.
RE: EASA exhibition, Rijeka, Croatia 2018/Rijeka City of Culture
The Sheffield Contemporary exhibition,
Abbeydale Picture House Lates’ gallery (Friday program),
Sheffield, Hospitality, Fredericia Denmark,
2016
Sheffield Festival of the Mind Moor Sheffield (public bench project)
Not Yet decided exhibition, Nida, Lithuania,
2015
Tiles exhibition, Sheffield Foodhall.
Theatre Deli Sheffield, Stagehands exhibition
2014
Project Foodhall launch exhibition.
SSOA Exhibition, The Arts Tower
2013
World Architecture Festival - Rethink and renew exhibition Singapore.
Cads Sheffield, WAF works in Snow Lane
2012
Wicker Sheffield Mater-reality exhibition.
2011
Protest Screenprints, The Priory, Middlesex,
2010
Apple Tarts Festival exhibition, Somerset,
FML Wednesday, Brick Lane, London,
2007,
Havering College Art and Design Student Show,
2006,
River Rom,
Plaistow Legal wall,
Marks Gate Abandonned Army Barracks,
Christie's London Solo Show,
Artificial , Design Museum,
The Power of Drawing, Royal Drawing School,
Old Queen Street Gallery, Capital at Risk exhibtion,
Opening of the City Of Sanctuary, Sheffield,
2024
RBA rising stars Show Green Park, London,
Royal Drawing School Summer Show,
Whorl, Pulp collective Group show Stratford,
Apach Group Show Brixton,
Borgo Pignano Residency, Italy,
Dumfries house residency, Scotland,
2023
Christie’s, London, The Year in Drawing.
Royal Drawing School, The Drawing Year exhibition,
Space Studios Mare Street, Studio Show exhibition,
Manchester Contemporary, Collaborative piece exhibited with Seb Koseda,
Borgo Pignano, Italy, Oil paint landscape exhibition,
Bloc projects, EASA Commons exhibition,
House of Anetta - AB__ workshops, Presentations of the research and drawings.
2022
The Building Centre, Garden of privatised delights exhibition,
City of Sanctuary Sheffield (action-research exhibition),
Crucible Theatre Sheffield - Ark Sheffield, Audio recordings exhibition and stage discussion,
Brown Street, Newhall - action-research exhibition.
Newhall Sheffield, launch,
2020
Venice Biennale, The Garden of Privatised Delights feature in the Studio Polpo pavilion.
REALITY, KRAGUJEVAC, Serbia
2019
Social sculpture, Lates gallery (arts council funded series curation and exhibition)
Patch of grass public exhibition - Sheffield town hall.
TOURIST, Villars Sur Orlon, Switzerland,
Long Live South Bank restoration, Southbank centre,
Lates’ workshop exhibition.
2018
Festival of the Mind, Sheffield.
RE: EASA exhibition, Rijeka, Croatia 2018/Rijeka City of Culture
The Sheffield Contemporary exhibition,
Abbeydale Picture House Lates’ gallery (Friday program),
Sheffield, Hospitality, Fredericia Denmark,
2016
Sheffield Festival of the Mind Moor Sheffield (public bench project)
Not Yet decided exhibition, Nida, Lithuania,
2015
Tiles exhibition, Sheffield Foodhall.
Theatre Deli Sheffield, Stagehands exhibition
2014
Project Foodhall launch exhibition.
SSOA Exhibition, The Arts Tower
2013
World Architecture Festival - Rethink and renew exhibition Singapore.
Cads Sheffield, WAF works in Snow Lane
2012
Wicker Sheffield Mater-reality exhibition.
2011
Protest Screenprints, The Priory, Middlesex,
2010
Apple Tarts Festival exhibition, Somerset,
FML Wednesday, Brick Lane, London,
2007,
Havering College Art and Design Student Show,
2009
Marks Gate community wall,
Marks Gate community wall,
River Rom,
Plaistow Legal wall,
Marks Gate Abandonned Army Barracks,
Email address: Ldpohl146@gmail.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/lalit_madhav_/