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Arpita Singh
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"Arpita Singh has pushed the visual lexicon of the middle-aged woman further than almost any other woman artist. The anomaly between the aging body and the residue of desire, between the ordinary and the divine and the threat of the violent fluxes of the impinging external world gives her work its piquancy and edge. At the same time she critiques the miasma of urban Indian life with suggestive symbols of violence that impinge on the sphere...
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"Arpita Singh has pushed the visual lexicon of the middle-aged woman further than almost any other woman artist. The anomaly between the aging body and the residue of desire, between the ordinary and the divine and the threat of the violent fluxes of the impinging external world gives her work its piquancy and edge. At the same time she critiques the miasma of urban Indian life with suggestive symbols of violence that impinge on the sphere of the private, creating an edgy uncertainty." - Gayatri Sinha
Born in 1937 in what is now Bangladesh, Arpita Singh received her diploma in Fine Arts at the Delhi Polytechnic before taking up the job of a designer at the Weaver's Service Centres in Kolkata and New Delhi. Each of Arpita Singh’s drawings, watercolours on paper, and oils on canvas has a story to tell. To simply say that this renowned artist’s work is narrative would be a gross understatement. Afflicted by the problems that are faced each and every day by women in her country and the world in general, Singh paints the range of emotions that she exchanges with these subjects – from sorrow to joy and from suffering to hope – providing a view of the ongoing communication she maintains with them.
The artist’s colours are vibrant, her palette usually dominated by pinks and blues, and her paintings burst at the seams with teeming life forms and objects or motifs like guns, cars, planes, animals, trees and flowers. Described as a figurative artist and a modernist, Arpita Singh still makes it a point to stay tuned in to traditional Indian art forms and aesthetics, like miniaturist painting and different forms of folk art, employing them in her work regularly. The way in which she uses perspective and the narrative in her work is steeped in the miniaturist traditions and a direct reflection of her background.
Since her first solo exhibition in 1972 at Kunika Chemould Gallery, New Delhi, Singh’s work has been featured regularly in shows of Indian art held in the country and internationally. These include exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, in 1982; the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, in 1986; in Geneva in 1987; and at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, in 1993. She has also participated in the 3rd and 4th Triennials in New Delhi; the 1987 Havana Biennale; and the Indo-Greek Cultural Exhibition in Greece in 1984. More recently, her works have been exhibited at 'Progressive to Altermodern: 62 Years of Indian Modern Art' at Grosvenor Gallery, London, in 2009; 'Kalpana: Figurative Art in India' presented by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) at Aicon Gallery, London, in 2009; 'The Root of Everything' at Gallery Mementos, Bangalore, in 2009; and ‘Modern and Contemporary Indian Art’ at Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, in 2006.
Singh has won several awards throughout her career, including at the 1981-1982 All-India Drawing Exhibition in Chandigarh, the 1987 Algeria Biennale, and the 1991 Parishad Samman from the Sahitya Kala Parishad, New Delhi. The artist has also showed her works in more than twenty solo exhibitions including several in Chandigarh, Bhopal, Mumbai and New Delhi. Her prominent solo shows are ‘Picture Postcard 2003 – 2006’ at Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, in 2006; ‘Memory Jars’ at Bose Pacia Modern, New York, in 2003; and ‘Drawing 94’at Gallery Espace, New Delhi, in 1994.
The artist lives and works in New Delhi.
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Born
1937
Bara Nagar, West Bengal
Education
1954-59 Diploma in Fine Arts, School of Art, Delhi Polytechnic, New Delhi
Exhibitions
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2015-16 'Works on paper', Vadehra Art...
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2015-16 'Works on paper', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2012 DC Moore Gallery, New York
2010-11 'Cobweb', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi; The Museum Gallery, Mumbai
2006 ‘Picture Postcard 2003 – 2006’, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2003 ‘Memory Jars’, Bose Pacia Modern, New York
1997 Bose Pacia Gallery, New York
1997 Gallery Chemould, Mumbai
1996 Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
1994 Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
1994 ‘Drawing 94’, Gallery Espace, New Delhi
1993 Schoo’s Gallery (Foundation for Indian Artists) Amsterdam
1992 Centre for Contemporary Art, New Delhi
1991,90,87 Art Heritage, New Delhi
1987,90 Gallery 7, Mumbai
1978,82,85 Art Heritage, New Delhi
1977 Werl, West Germany
1976 Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
1975 Dhoomomal Art Gallery, New Delhi
1972 Kunika Chemould Art Centre, New Delhi
Selected Group Exhibitions
2013 'Ideas of the Sublime', presented by Vadehra Art Gallery at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
2013 'Edge of Reason- and beyond, into pure creativity', presented by Indian Art Circle at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
2012 'Extending the Line', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2012 'Gallery Collection', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2011 'Adbhutam: Rasa in Indian Art', Centre of International Modern Art(CIMA), Kolkata
2011 'The Path of the Lotus: Indian Art', Grosvenor Gallery, London
2011 'Fabular Bodies: New Narratives in the Art of the Miniature',
presented by Harmony Art Foundation at Coomaraswamy Hall, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharah Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai
2011 'Seduction by Masquerade', Nature Morte, New Delhi
2011 'Pause: A Collection', Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
2011 'Tolstoy Farm: Archive of Utopia', presented by Seven Art Gallery at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
2011 'Narrations, Quotations & Commentaries', Grosvenor Gallery, London
2011 'Of Humour, Wit & Satire', Gallery Threshold, New Delhi
2010-11 'A Collection', Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
2010 'The Modernists', RL Fine Arts, New York
2010 'Paper Trails', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2010 'From Miniature to Modern: Traditions in Transition', Rob Dean Art, London in association with Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai
2010 'Symbols and Metaphors', Centre of International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
2009 'Bharat Ratna! Jewels of Modern Indian Art', Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
2009 'Progressive to Altermodern: 62 Years of Indian Modern Art', Grosvenor Gallery, London
2009 'Kalpana: Figurative Art in India', presented by The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) at Aicon Gallery, London
2009 'The Root of Everything', Gallery Mementos, Bangalore
2008 'Modern and Contemporary Indian Art', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2008 'Of Personal Narratives And Journeys', Bodhi Art, Gurgaon
2008 'Fluid Structures: Gender and Abstraction', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
2008 ‘Freedom 2008: Sixty Years After Indian Independence’, Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
2007-08 ‘India Art Now: Between Continuity and Transformation’, Province of Milan, Milan, Italy
2007 ‘Horn Please: Narratives in Contemporary Indian Art’, Kunstmuseum Bern, Switzerland
2007 ‘Tiger by the Tail ! Women Artists of India Transforming Culture’, Women’s Studies Research Centre (WSRC), Brandeis University, USA in partnership with Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi
2007 'Making History Our Own', organized by SAHMAT at All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi
2006-07 ‘Inventing / Inverting Traditions’, Indian Art II / III, Grosvenor Vadehra, London
2005 ‘Manifestations III’, Delhi Art Gallery, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi and Nehru Centre, Mumbai
2004 ‘Stree’, Bodhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2002 ‘Ways of Resisting’, SAHMAT, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi
1997 ‘The Self and the World’, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi
1996 ‘Chamatkara’, organized by Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata at London
1996 ‘Traditions / Tensions’, Asia Society, New York
1994 ‘Mobile Creches’, at Habiart Centre: Art for Childrens Sake’, New Delhi
1994 ‘Drawing 94’, Gallery Espace, New Delhi
1993 ‘India Songs’, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
1993 ‘Wounds’, Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
1993 ‘Two Artists’, Washington D.C
1993 ‘Trends and Images’, Centre for International Modern Art (CIMA), Kolkata
1993 ‘London: Indian Encounters’, Gallery Madras
1992 ‘Husain Ki Sarai’, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
1992 ‘The Subjective Eye’, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai
1991 ‘Helpage India’, Mumbai
1990 Habitat Gallery, Habitat Centre, New Delhi
1990 ‘Nine Indian Contemporaries’, Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), New Delhi
1989 ‘Timeless Art’, The Times of India, Mumbai
1989 ‘Artist Alert’, SAHMAT, New Delhi
1989 ‘Through The Looking Glass’, Centre for Contemporary Art, New Delhi
1988 ‘Contemporary Figurative Indian Art’, Kuwait
1988 ‘Water Color by four Painters’, Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
1987 ‘Geneva: Coups de Coueur’, Halle Sud, Switzerland
1987 ‘Helpage India’, Taj Hotel, Mumbai
1987 ‘Four Painters’, Bhopal, New Delhi, Bangalore
1985 ‘Five Indian Painters’, Istanbul, Ankara, Belgrade
1984 ‘Three Painters’, Cymroza Gallery, Mumbai
1984 Inaugural Exhibition, Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal
1977 ‘Pictorial Space’, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1972 ‘Two Painters’, Gallery Chemould, Mumbai
1972 ‘Twenty Five Years of Indian Art’, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1969,71,72 ‘Art Today’, Kunika Chemould Art Centre, New Delhi
1963 ‘In Memory of Sailoz Mukherjea’, Kunika Chemould Art Centre, New Delhi
1960,61,62 ‘The Unknown’, New Delhi
Joint Exhibitions
2016 'Reflected Verses' with Shilpa Gupta, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi
Participations
2013-14 'Transition', 20th Anniversary Show, Centre of International Modern Art(CIMA), Kolkata
2012 'The Calendar Project: Iconography in the 20th Century', part of Project CINEMA CITY: Research Art & Documentary Practices presented by National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) and Ministry of Culture, Government of India at National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai
2012 'Art for Humanity', Coomaraswamy Hall, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai
2012 ‘To Let the World In: Narrative and Beyond in Contemporary Indian Art’, as part of Art Chennai, Edition II at Lalit Kala Regional Centre, Chennai
2011 'Ethos V: Indian Art Through the Lens of History (1900 to 1980), Indigo Blue Art, Singapore
2011 'Goddess, Lion, Peasant, Priest: Modern and Contemporary Indian Art', from the Collection of Shelley and Donald Rubin at Museum Oglethorpe, Atlanta
2011 ‘Manifestations V', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi
2011 'Time Unfolded', Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi
2010 'Art Celebrates 2010: Sports and the City', represented by Vadehra Art Gallery at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi to coincide with the hosting of the Commonwealth Games
2008-09 ''Modern India', organized by Institut Valencià d'Art Modern (IVAM) and Casa Asia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture at Valencia, Spain
2008-09 ‘Expanding Horizons: Contemporary Indian Art’, Traveling Exhibition presented by Bodhi Art at Ravinder Natya Mandir, P.L.Despande Kala Academy Art Gallery, Mumbai; Sant Dyaneshwar Natya Sankul Art Gallery, Amravati; Platinum Jubilee Hall, Nagpur; Tapadia Natya Mandir Sports Hall, Aurangabad; Hirachand Nemchand Vachanalay’s, Solapur; Acharya Vidyanand Sanskrutik Bhavan, Kolhapur; PGSR Sabhagriha, SNDT, Pune; Sarvajanik Vachanalaya Hall, Nasik
2008 'Moderns', Royal Cultural Centre, Amman, Jordan organized by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in collaboration with Embassy of India, Amman, Jordan
1987 Algeria Biennale, Algeria
1987 2nd Biennale, Havana, Cuba
1986 ‘Festival of India in France’, Georges Pompidou Centre, Paris
1986 Roopankar Biennale, Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal
1984 ‘Indo-Greek Cultural Festival’, Athens, Delphi, Greece
1982 ‘Contemporary Indian Art, Festival of India’, Royal Academy of Arts, London
1982 Vth Triennale India, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
1975 IIIrd Triennale India, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi
Honours and Awards
2011 Padma Bhushan, Government of India
1998-99 Awarded Kalidas Sanman, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
1981,92 All India Drawing Exhibition, Chandigarh
1987 Algeria Biennale, Algeria
Parishad Sanman, Sahitya- Kala Parishad, New Delhi
2011 Padma Bhushan, Government of India
1998-99 Awarded Kalidas Sanman, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
1981,92 All India Drawing Exhibition, Chandigarh
1987 Algeria Biennale, Algeria
Parishad Sanman, Sahitya- Kala Parishad, New Delhi
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