Arpita Singh Serpentine Gallery

Arpita Singh: Remembering – A Journey Through Memory and Meaning

3-4 Minute Read

Arpita Singh Serpentine Gallery, Visiting Arpita Singh: Remembering at Serpentine North was a powerful and thought-provoking experience. This landmark exhibition, Singh’s first solo institutional show outside of India, presents a deeply personal yet universally resonant body of work, selected in close collaboration with the artist. Spanning over six decades, the collection showcases Singh’s evolution as an artist, from her early works in the 1960s to her most recent explorations in paint and ink.

What struck me most was how Singh’s paintings feel both intimate and vast—rooted in memory, yet open to the complexity of interpretation. Her ability to weave together personal history, collective memory, and broader socio-political realities results in a body of work that feels layered, mysterious, and deeply human. As Singh herself said, “Remembering draws from old memories from which these works emerged… it is how my life flows.” That sense of emotional current is felt in every piece.

I was especially drawn to her use of maps and cartographic forms as a recurring motif. These visual references seemed to chart not only geographical spaces but also emotional landscapes—where memory, trauma, and identity intersect. The map-like elements pulled me in, suggesting both navigation and disorientation, a reflection of the uncertainty that often defines our inner worlds.

Singh’s painting technique is just as compelling as her subject matter. Her brushstrokes, sometimes delicate and other times raw and expressive, create a tactile richness that adds depth to the narratives she’s exploring. The use of symbolism throughout her work—whether through recurring figures, animals, or architectural forms—builds a language of its own, inviting the viewer to return and read deeper.

The colour palette was another highlight for me. Singh’s use of pinks, reds, and earth tones feels warm and evocative but also confrontational at times, especially when set against themes of violence or vulnerability. Her portraiture, painted in her signature flat yet dynamic style, is filled with emotion. These figures—often women—appear contemplative, resilient, and layered with unspoken stories.

Since the 1990s, Singh has focused more explicitly on themes of aging, femininity, and the female experience. It was moving to see how these topics are expressed with both tenderness and tension, through surreal compositions and fragmented forms that resist linear storytelling.

Arpita Singh Serpentine Gallery, Remembering is a fitting title for this show—it’s not just about recalling the past, but about feeling it pulse through each brushstroke. Arpita Singh’s work lingers long after you’ve left the gallery, offering new perspectives with each revisit.