Arpita Singh

Arpita Singh (born 1937, Baranagar, West Bengal, India) is a highly respected Indian modernist painter who lives and works in New Delhi. Singh is renowned for her figurative, narrative-driven paintings that often explore themes of femininity, memory, conflict, and social injustice. Working primarily in oil and watercolour, her canvases are densely layered with vivid imagery, often populated by female figures amid a chaotic assemblage of domestic and political symbols. Her art combines elements of traditional Indian miniature painting with a contemporary, expressive sensibility, drawing on both personal and collective histories.

Singh has exhibited widely in India and internationally, including at the Royal Academy of Arts in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Her works are held in major collections such as the National Gallery of Modern Art (India) and the Peabody Essex Museum (USA). She has received several significant awards, including the Padma Bhushan in 2011 and the Kalidas Samman in 1998. Arpita Singh is a highly regarded figure in the Indian art market, and her works frequently appear in major auctions, often achieving strong results, signalling a relatively liquid market and continued collector interest.