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more...The following essay originally appeared on the NRI Internet website. Photos from KP’s recent exhibit opening may also be found on the NRI Internet site.
The Opening Reception of “KP Singh in Color – Selected Drawings and Prints” at the Indianapolis Art Center attracted an enthusiastic multi-generational and multicultural festive gathering with over 200 art patrons and friends, artists, media personnel, writers, and musicians; business, faith, and community leaders. Many of them contribute immeasurably to the culture and international spirit of Indiana.
We were especially grateful for the presence of Honorable Diego Morales, Special Assistant to Indiana Governor Mike Pence; Jane Gehlhausen, Director of Cultural and International Affairs in the office of Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard; Charlie Wiles, Director of Center for Interfaith Cooperation; Julia Moore, Director of Public Art in the Indianapolis Arts Council; Jennifer Pace Robinson, Vice President of Exhibits and Family Education at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis; Maninder Singh Walia, President of the Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis; Rupal Thanawala, President of Asian American Alliance; Rev. Richard Hamilton, a distinguished spiritual leader; Anita Lerche, Danish Punjabi singer-songwriter; John Mallon, Owner and Founder of Editions Limited, the most prestigious art gallery in Indiana; Patrick Flaherty, President of the Indianapolis Art Center and many others.
The Exhibit at the Indianapolis Art Center turned out to be a gathering of many friends and people who enjoy the arts; initiate, sponsor, support, and strive to enhance the cultural, spiritual, and treasured assets of a community. The Opening Reception, in that sense, became a celebration of the arts – with the KP Singh drawing and prints of landmarks from around the world, fabulous harp music, food, photographers, writers, other Art Center exhibits, dedicated patrons and passionate art advocates that enjoy and make the arts an important part of community fabric and spirit, a major national priority.
Lines of Distinction (September 22, 2015)
more...The following excerpt is from an essay by Chi Sherman that originally appeared on the Sky Blue Window website. You may view the entire article.
Internationally known illustrator K.P. Singh speaks with an elegance and cadence that turn his words into a dance. His designations include artist, advocate, author and public speaker and could easily welcome storyteller. Listening to him talk about his 50-year journey from his native India to the United States feels like stepping into a Jhumpa Lahiri novel. As finely as he composes his pen-and-ink drawings of historic architecture and monuments, so does he detail a life bolstered by art and his Sikh faith.
In 1965 Singh arrived in Ann Arbor where he pursued a degree in city planning at the University of Michigan. He had already attained degrees from Punjab University and The Indian Institute of Technology, and he came to the States in to spend time abroad before settling down. Though he returned to India for a formal ceremony celebrating his first marriage, he made Indiana his home in 1967.
Following the completion of his degree, Singh moved to Indianapolis and joined the Department of Metropolitan Development as a senior designer and urban planner. Here he held that position from 1967 to 1972, at which point he created his own fine arts enterprise, K.P. Singh Designs. Though his training was not in art, drawing had been a component of his studies in planning and architecture in India and Michigan. His work in Indy revealed an ugly truth: A number of historic buildings were being demolished to make room for more parking lots.
“Having been surrounded by so much beauty and historic things in India, I wanted to convey as a planner and an artist that we as a civilization could not afford to destroy these landmarks,” he says. “They had artistic architectural value.” He explained that the buildings’ facades, skylights, stained glass and designs had been inspired by other countries and cultures. “If I showed in drawings how beautiful these buildings were, it would draw attention. An image is worth a thousand words,” he says.
View the entire article by Chi Sherman.
K.P. Singh's distinctive pen and ink drawings of historic architecture and monuments from the Far East, India, Europe, the USA and Indiana attempt to reflect the spirit and original elegance which inspired the design of these architectural landmarks. Mr. Singh's finely executed drawings combine the skills of an architect, artist and historian. His works are represented in many public and private collections in the USA and over twenty-five countries abroad. Born in India, Mr. Singh came to the United States in 1965 and has made Indianapolis his home since 1967.
K. P. Singh specializes in pen and ink drawings of private residences, public institutions and a wide range of subjects. His artwork is often used in fund-raising and to heighten public awareness of our architecture and community institutions. Singh is an enthusiastic advocate for historic and cultural preservation and interfaith matters. His recently published book The Art and Spirit of K.P. Singh ~ Selected Drawings and Writings highlights many of these themes, which are often discussed in his public speaking engagements.
Educated in India and at the University of Michigan in architecture and city planning, Singh is the recipient of many awards including the Daverman Merit Award in Architecture from the University of Michigan.
"Surrounded by ancient architecture and artistic creativity while growing up in India, he conceived a desire to capture the architectural legacy of man thorugh his pen and ink drawings. His style has been influenced by the Old Masters. He presents his subjects in close-up, highlighting detail and splendor, challenging the viewer to explore the spirit of the building's original creators. Sensuality of line, texture, landscaping and intricate architectural details, interesting spatial arrangements, script as an integral element in design and an intensity of line and form are hallmarks of the Singh artwork."
-- AMERICAN ARTISTS, An Illustrated Survey of Leading Contemporaries