From Bombay To London
The Journey Unfolds
The Journey Unfolds
The Journey Unfolds
Explore the key moments of a pioneering Indian Expressionist’s life, from early years in Bombay to his London period and six decades of work.
EXPLORE HIS JOURNEY
Chapters of Ribeiro's Life
Immerse yourself in the detailed story of his life,
from early influences to lasting legacy
A TIMELINE OF HIS LIFE AND WORK
Ribeiro's Life at a Glance
A year-by-year look at the events, relationships, and turning
points that shaped his life and career.
A year-by-year look at the events, relationships, and turning points that shaped his life and career.
1933
Born in Bombay as Lanceloté José Belarmino Ribeiro to parents John and Lily (Antunes) Ribeiro. His older half-brother is FN Souza (1924-2002) and their younger sister, Marina Ribeiro (1935-2015).
1933
Born in Bombay as Lanceloté José Belarmino Ribeiro to parents John and Lily (Antunes) Ribeiro. His older half-brother is FN Souza (1924-2002) and their younger sister, Marina Ribeiro (1935-2015).
1939 - 42
Attends St Xavier’s (Junior) School for boys in Bombay - a strong Catholic school run by Jesuit priests.
1939 - 42
Attends St Xavier’s (Junior) School for boys in Bombay - a strong Catholic school run by Jesuit priests.
1942 - 44
Ribeiro’s mother transfers Ribeiro to St Mary’s (Senior Cambridge School), a boarding school in Mount Abu, Rajputana.
1942 - 44
Ribeiro’s mother transfers Ribeiro to St Mary’s (Senior Cambridge School), a boarding school in Mount Abu, Rajputana.
1946 - 50
Ribeiro returns to Bombay and enrols in St Xavier’s High School.
1946 - 50
Ribeiro returns to Bombay and enrols in St Xavier’s High School.
1947
India secures Independence from Britain. Sectarian violence erupts across the Subcontinent as Partition splits across the Subcontinent.
1947
India secures Independence from Britain. Sectarian violence erupts across the Subcontinent as Partition splits across the Subcontinent.
1950
Travels to a post-war England on the P&O steamship 'SS MOOLTAN' to study accountancy but abandons this soon after. Stays with his artist brother, FN Souza, in London's Chalk Farm.
1950
Travels to a post-war England on the P&O steamship 'SS MOOLTAN' to study accountancy but abandons this soon after. Stays with his artist brother, FN Souza, in London's Chalk Farm.
1951
Lodges at the International Language Club in East Croydon while studying for his accountancy exams.
1951
Lodges at the International Language Club in East Croydon while studying for his accountancy exams.
1951 - 53
Studies life drawing part-time at Saint Martin's School of Art, London.
1951 - 53
Studies life drawing part-time at Saint Martin's School of Art, London.
1954
Travels extensively around continental Europe, primarily to avoid conscription. He starts exploring jewellery manufacture and design.
1954
Travels extensively around continental Europe, primarily to avoid conscription. He starts exploring jewellery manufacture and design.
1954 - 55
Conscripted into Britain’s National Service in the Royal Air Force and is stationed in West Kirby and Catterick in England and Dumfries in Scotland. He is enlisted into the RAF campaign to eradicate the highly-infectious mymomatosis outbreak in rabbits.
1954 - 55
Conscripted into Britain’s National Service in the Royal Air Force and is stationed in West Kirby and Catterick in England and Dumfries in Scotland. He is enlisted into the RAF campaign to eradicate the highly-infectious mymomatosis outbreak in rabbits.
1955
With tensions in the Middle East and the Suez Crisis, Ribeiro secures his discharge from the RAF with the intervention of Souza and V K Krishna Menon (India’s first High Commissioner in London from the newly independent India). He returns to India on the P&O 'CHUSAN' and works with the Life Insurance Corporation in Bombay, while writing poetry and painting
1955
With tensions in the Middle East and the Suez Crisis, Ribeiro secures his discharge from the RAF with the intervention of Souza and V K Krishna Menon (India’s first High Commissioner in London from the newly independent India). He returns to India on the P&O 'CHUSAN' and works with the Life Insurance Corporation in Bombay, while writing poetry and painting
1958
Starts painting professionally - producing his first paintings: a number of townscapes on paper.
1958
Starts painting professionally - producing his first paintings: a number of townscapes on paper.
1960
Ribeiro marries Ana Rita Pinto Correia from Goa.
1960
Ribeiro marries Ana Rita Pinto Correia from Goa.
1961
First one-man exhibition at Bombay Artist Aid Centre. Commissioned by J.R.D Tata to paint a 12-foot mural entitled 'Urban Landscape' for Tata Iron and Steel, Bombay. Gives poetry readings sponsored by the British Council, Bombay, the Bombay English Association and the Max Mueller Bhawan, New Delhi, alongside fellow poets Nissim Ezekiel, R. Parthasarathy and Manuel Rodrigues. Exhibits at 'Ten Indian Painters', Madras which tours several cities in Europe and North America.
1961
First one-man exhibition at Bombay Artist Aid Centre. Commissioned by J.R.D Tata to paint a 12-foot mural entitled 'Urban Landscape' for Tata Iron and Steel, Bombay. Gives poetry readings sponsored by the British Council, Bombay, the Bombay English Association and the Max Mueller Bhawan, New Delhi, alongside fellow poets Nissim Ezekiel, R. Parthasarathy and Manuel Rodrigues. Exhibits at 'Ten Indian Painters', Madras which tours several cities in Europe and North America.
1962
Settles permanently in England ‘rushing’ before the introduction of Commonwealth Immigration Controls. Awarded a grant from the Congrés pour la Liberté de la Culture [Congress for Cultural Freedom], Paris. Nominated for All India Gold Medal.
1962
Settles permanently in England ‘rushing’ before the introduction of Commonwealth Immigration Controls. Awarded a grant from the Congrés pour la Liberté de la Culture [Congress for Cultural Freedom], Paris. Nominated for All India Gold Medal.
1963
Ana Rita Pinto Correia follows Ribeiro to England. Founder member of the Indian Painters Collective (IPC), UK with Gajanan D Bhagwat, Yashwant Mali, and Ibrahim Wagh, all Indian painters living in the UK - the collective is later expanding to seven members with the addition of L. B. Chavan, Balraj Khanna, S. V. Rama Rao.
1963
Ana Rita Pinto Correia follows Ribeiro to England. Founder member of the Indian Painters Collective (IPC), UK with Gajanan D Bhagwat, Yashwant Mali, and Ibrahim Wagh, all Indian painters living in the UK - the collective is later expanding to seven members with the addition of L. B. Chavan, Balraj Khanna, S. V. Rama Rao.
1964
IPC mounts the exhibition Six Indian Painters at India House, London.
1964
IPC mounts the exhibition Six Indian Painters at India House, London.
1964-1965
Salman Haidar of the Indian High Commission commissions graphic art pieces by Ribeiro as the covers for the 1964 and 1965 India Annual Reviews. Exhibitions in London are held in leading West End galleries as well as Nicholas Treadwell’s Mobile Art Galleries.
1964-1965
Salman Haidar of the Indian High Commission commissions graphic art pieces by Ribeiro as the covers for the 1964 and 1965 India Annual Reviews. Exhibitions in London are held in leading West End galleries as well as Nicholas Treadwell’s Mobile Art Galleries.
1969
Ribeiro returns to India for six months to exhibit at the Instituto Menezes-Braganza in Goa. His exhibition is reviewed in Art in America’s feature on the London art scene
1969
Ribeiro returns to India for six months to exhibit at the Instituto Menezes-Braganza in Goa. His exhibition is reviewed in Art in America’s feature on the London art scene
1972
Lectures on Indian art and culture as well as his own artistic practice for the Commonwealth Institute, UK.
1972
Lectures on Indian art and culture as well as his own artistic practice for the Commonwealth Institute, UK.
1976
Founder Member of the multi-cultural Rainbow Art Group.
1976
Founder Member of the multi-cultural Rainbow Art Group.
1978
The Indian Painters Collective is revived as the Indian Artists Collective, later becoming Indian Artists UK (IAUK). IAUK holds ‘Four Leading Indian Artists’ exhibition at India House in London.
1978
The Indian Painters Collective is revived as the Indian Artists Collective, later becoming Indian Artists UK (IAUK). IAUK holds ‘Four Leading Indian Artists’ exhibition at India House in London.
1980
The first exhibition by IAUK is mounted at Burgh House & Hampstead Museum. Ribeiro leaves IAUK. He moves into a smaller flat, impacting his studio space, and leading to a period of small-scale, predominantly watercolour works, inspired by the English countryside.
1980
The first exhibition by IAUK is mounted at Burgh House & Hampstead Museum. Ribeiro leaves IAUK. He moves into a smaller flat, impacting his studio space, and leading to a period of small-scale, predominantly watercolour works, inspired by the English countryside.
1986
Ribeiro’s first major exhibition is held at the Leicestershire Museum and Art Gallery. It then tours to Swiss Cottage Library; in the last few days, one of his paintings is slashed.
1986
Ribeiro’s first major exhibition is held at the Leicestershire Museum and Art Gallery. It then tours to Swiss Cottage Library; in the last few days, one of his paintings is slashed.
1989
Ribeiro is excluded from Hayward Gallery’s ‘The Other Story’, despite Souza, writing to the organisers in 1988 to ask that he should be included with other ‘non-white’ artists. Ribeiro starts exhibiting extensively in Germany, unveiling new large paintings.
1989
Ribeiro is excluded from Hayward Gallery’s ‘The Other Story’, despite Souza, writing to the organisers in 1988 to ask that he should be included with other ‘non-white’ artists. Ribeiro starts exhibiting extensively in Germany, unveiling new large paintings.
1998
Returns to India for one-man show in Delhi.
1998
Returns to India for one-man show in Delhi.
2010
Displays one painting at British Art Fair, after a long absence. Dies at home on Christmas Day, London.
2010
Displays one painting at British Art Fair, after a long absence. Dies at home on Christmas Day, London.
2013
The Restless Ribeiro retrospective is held at Asia House, London.
2013
The Restless Ribeiro retrospective is held at Asia House, London.
2016-2017
The Retracing Ribeiro project is held in London. It includes an exhibition at Hampstead’s Burgh House Museum, and events such as ‘Remembering Lancelot Ribeiro and other Indian artists in 1960s Britain’ at the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum’s ‘Ribeiro: A Celebration of Life, Love and Passion’.
2016-2017
The Retracing Ribeiro project is held in London. It includes an exhibition at Hampstead’s Burgh House Museum, and events such as ‘Remembering Lancelot Ribeiro and other Indian artists in 1960s Britain’ at the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum’s ‘Ribeiro: A Celebration of Life, Love and Passion’.
2019
Ribeiro's 1964 Oil and PVA townscape wins Art Fund support.
2019
Ribeiro's 1964 Oil and PVA townscape wins Art Fund support.
2024
Google honours Lancelot Ribeiro's legacy with a Google Doodle.
2024
Google honours Lancelot Ribeiro's legacy with a Google Doodle.