The art of remembering with Arpita Singh

Serpentine North presents Remembering, the first institutional solo exhibition of Arpita Singh outside India, running from March 20th to July 27th, 2025. Spanning six decades of Singh’s prolific career, the exhibition explores her deeply personal yet universally resonant visual language, shaped by memory, history, and mythology.

Singh’s work blends figuration and abstraction, incorporating elements of Bengali folk art, Indian miniature painting, and Surrealism. Her compositions intertwine domestic life with wider social narratives, often centering on themes of gender, motherhood, and political unrest.

A highlight of the exhibition is Devi Pistol Wali (1990), an oil painting in which a many-armed goddess, dressed in a white sari, holds a pistol, a vase of flowers, and a mango—objects symbolizing both power and femininity. The piece reimagines Indian mythology through a contemporary feminist lens.

Also on view is A Feminine Tale (1995), a reverse painting on acrylic, where a solitary female figure is surrounded by fragmented symbols of modern life—cars, vases, telephones—while numbers and text suggest hidden narratives. Singh’s layered compositions invite open-ended interpretation, allowing viewers to navigate their own meanings within her visual world.

Since the 1990s, Singh has increasingly addressed themes of sensuality, aging, and violence, reflecting the psychological impact of historical and societal events on women’s lived experiences. Her distinctive use of color, intricate detailing, and dreamlike juxtapositions create emotionally charged yet enigmatic scenes.

To accompany the exhibition, Serpentine will release the most comprehensive publication on Singh in the past decade, featuring contributions from Booker Prize-winning author Geetanjali Shree, art historian Geeta Kapur, and artist Nilima Sheikh. The catalogue underscores Singh’s lasting influence on contemporary art and her role in reshaping narratives within a male-dominated art world.

Curated by Tamsin Hong with Liz Stumpf, Remembering builds on Serpentine’s ongoing commitment to amplifying global artistic voices. The exhibition offers an immersive journey through Singh’s vibrant, multi-layered practice, illuminating her enduring exploration of memory and transformation.