With his historic paintings, Jarnail Singh artist has carved out a name himself in his field in Canada
The Canadian Bazaar
VANCOUVER: Son of legendary artist Kirpal Singh whose historical paintings are displayed at the Central Sikh Museum at the Golden Temple, Surrey-based Jarnail Singh artist was pretty well known in India when he settled in Canada in 2000.
He has quickly made his mark on the Canadian art scene as major cities and institutions today display his works. Apart from gurdwaras in Ontario and British Columbia, his works are also displayed at Carleton University in Ottawa, the Arts Council of Surrey and other places.
A self-taught artist, he says, “Since I grew up with art all around me, I developed an interest in it at an early age. When I was around eight years old, the great painter Sobha Singh visited our place in New Delhi. My father asked me to show my drawings to the renowned artist. Sobha Singh was very happy to see my childlike drawings and as a re- ward he gave me a 50-paisa coin. I kept it for a long time.”
Jarnail Singh artist learned art from his father in the old teacher-disciple tradition, but never copied his style. “My father never asked me to paint something. I conceived my own subjects and themes.”
A graduate from Panjab University, he says he started taking art work seriously in the late 1970s.
“Around 1978, one of my paintings won an award at the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi annual exhibition. Dr M S Randhawa was its chairperson at that time. He liked my work and Punjab Tourism acquired this painting. He encouraged me to take my art seriously and I started painting the cultural life of Punjab. These paintings got very popular and were published as posters, calendars, and greeting cards,” says Jarnail Singh artist.
About his decision to move to Canada, he says, “Every artist wants a wider audience. Punjabis living abroad used to acquire a large part of my work when I was in India. I would often tell them in a lighter vein that wherever there is a Punjabi in the world, there is also my work in some form. I visited Canada first in 1995 and in 2000 I came as a permanent resident.”
He says, “I am happy I have found a niche market and made my mark in a short period. The Surrey Art Gallery had my solo show Jarnail Singh: Discovering the Soul of Punjab in 2004. In 2008, the City of Surrey honoured me as its Civic Treasure – a lifetime recognition.’’
In 2011, he coordinated with the Surrey Art Gallery for the exhibition From the Land of Five Rivers, highlighting the work of Punjabi artists.
Jarnail Singh artist’s major public works include the Komagata Maru mural at the PICS Senior Housing Unit in Surrey, and The Story of Sikhism project at the Canadian Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Surrey.
“I also did Journey with the Endless Eye with writer Ajmer Rode. We also had two exhibitions – Artist’s Choice and Vibrant Vistas – organized under the banner of the South Asian Artists Guild.”
Not surprisingly, the Sikh artist has featured in the list of influential 100 South Asians in British Columbia by the Vancouver Sun.
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