J.P. Singh

A self-taught painter from a village in Bulandshahr district. He has lived and worked in Delhi for most of his life.

Portrait — to comeP1 · 4:5 · 2000 × 2500 · in the studio, chest up, natural side light from a window, plain wall behind, looking slightly off camera

Story

J.P. Singh comes from a small village in Bulandshahr district. He came to Delhi empty-handed, with neither great aspirations nor a clear plan. All he hoped for was some work, and a chance to see the new world of the city.

In the early years he took odd jobs painting boards and banners. With no formal art education, he relied on years of practice, raw talent and an undying wish to express himself in colour. A quiet, introverted young man, often full of silent rage, he found refuge in painting.

Life went on like this for years. He gave one of his paintings to the woman he would marry, and it left a lasting impression on her family. With her support he later joined Rashtrapati Bhavan as a painter, and kept painting late into the night.

Over twenty-five years at Rashtrapati Bhavan he took part in contemporary art exhibitions and was honoured twice by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. He hand-made Bhojpatra invitations for visiting dignitaries, among them President Barack Obama, and served under six Presidents of India.

Over those years he exhibited and sold work to support his family. Now, with his children settled, he has begun his second innings: painting not to make a living, but for the joy of it.

Studio — to comeP2 · 3:2 · 3000 × 2000 · the studio wall with two or three canvases hung or leaning, his knives and tubes in the foreground, him at work but not posing. It also gives a sense of scale.

Statement

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua, ut enim ad minim veniam.

J.P. Singh, artist's statement. His own words to come.

CV

Rows in grey are slots for facts not yet confirmed.

Career

25 yearsPainter, Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. Served under six Presidents of India.

Years tbcHand-made Bhojpatra invitations for visiting heads of state, among them President Barack Obama

Honours

Years tbcHonoured twice by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, President of India

Selected exhibitions

YearExhibition title, venue, city (to be confirmed)

Collections

—Public and private collections (to be confirmed)

Training

—Self-taught

For press

Short biography

J.P. Singh is a self-taught painter based in Delhi. For twenty-five years he worked as a painter at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where he served under six Presidents of India. He paints abstract acrylics, building blocks of colour with a palette knife and scratching signs into the wet paint, and makes charcoal drawings of brass instruments.

Images and contact

High-resolution images of the paintings and a portrait are available on request. Please credit “Courtesy the artist”.

Available once the portrait is photographed.

jpsinghartist@gmail.com