Arpita Singh: Remembering

The catalogue of the first solo exhibition of Arpita Singh outside India presents an influential contemporary artist who has consistently put women at the centre of her works.

Arpita Singh's paintings centre on her emotional and psychological state, drawing from Bengali folk art and Indian stories, interwoven with experiences of social upheaval and global conflict. The exhibition at the Serpentine North Gallery in London this Autumn, and this accompanying catalogue, trace Singh's luminous works from the 1960s to recent years, showcasing her large-scale oil paintings as well as her more intimate watercolours and ink drawings. Remembering presents the artist's exploration of Surrealism, figuration, abstraction and her inspiration from Indian miniature paintings. Since the 1990s, Singh has increasingly explored themes of motherhood, the aging female form, feminine sensuality, vulnerability and violence, demonstrating the impact of relationships and external events on the emotional and psychological landscape of the artist.

Her works are intimate portrayals of domestic and inner life but are equally concerned with the experiences of women navigating the outside world. Resisting singular interpretation, Arpita Singh explores an omnipresent tension that arises from weaving together labyrinthine cityscapes with observations of unsettling historical events and everyday life.