Lal Bahadur Singh

By Galleriesplash, June 4, 2020

“Nature in all its glory”, that’s what sets apart Lal Bahadur Singh from the other artists. His strength lies is in his use of lively colours, detailing and intense storytelling which makes for great visual impact. His selection of colour is from the European colour palate mostly. The distinctive lines in his paintings seem to have vanished though.

Lal Bahadur Singh is an alumnus of the prestigious ‘College of Art’ in New Delhi where he completed his Masters in Fine Art. He completed his schooling from ‘S R S D Sr School, Lajpat Nagar’. His early childhood years were moulded in a ‘Gurukul’ in Gazipur where he also studied art. 

The influence his rural upbringing has is very evident from his arresting and often quite unique depictions of flora and fauna in his paintings. His images are mostly quirky combinations that we least expect but identify almost instantly, and therein lies the beauty of his work. The depiction of the parrot, one of the most easily recognizable and symbolic birds in rural India, is extraordinary as they have been juxtaposed on to an ever-changing urban background devoid of any human form. The thing you notice immediately in this work of his is the straight lines he has used in that series. The cow and the bull, again, very identifiable and revered presence of rural India, are used in a series of paintings to tell us the story of the changing face of life at both the rural and urban locales in this country. Lal bahadur’s work deeply reflects his rural upbringing and his widespread travels across rural India.

The richness of colours used to depict these life forms are a visual treat. Lal bahadur’s rather unique take on another tangent, that of blatant urbanism at a macro level; forces us to look hard and deep within ourselves and has led him to be coveted by the discerning art collector. His themed collections are great as paintings for homes, corporate houses and museums. They have the capability to make any space instantly vibrant, colourful, contemplative and chic.   

That’s said, Lal Bahadur’s recent work move away from the straight lines and into dense well defined foliage. His attention to the environment and foliage of Indian villages is reflected in the way he uses them as rich background. The bright colours are still very much there. However, the parrots have given way to the Macaws with squirrels, rabbits and hares, Butterflies and insects making an entrance. The foliage is quite striking and very tropical, the colours are very vibrant and the seasons are showcased prominently. 

His work has been showcased in many exhibitions, both solo and group. Here is a list of his popular exhibitions.

Exhibitions

SOLO SHOWS

• 2018, Solo exhibition at India Art Fair, NSIC Grounds, Okhla, Delhi 
• 2014 :”Drishtikon” Solo exhibition hosted by Gallerie Nvya at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in

GROUP SHOWS

2019:

• Funqaar, April 2019,  The Gate Mall, Doha, Qatar, a group exhibition of artworks by leading Indian artists 
• Gallerie Splash, India Art Festival, Delhi
• Gallerie Splash, India Art Festival Mumbai  

2018

•  “Indian Art Today”; Gallerie Splash, Annual Exhibition, Visual Art Gallery, India    Habitat Centre, Lodi Road, New Delhi

2014:

• Group Show at the Gallerie Nvya Booth India Art Fair, New Delhi.
•  Within Reach V;  Gallerie Nvya, Saket, New Delhi

2013:  

• The Winter Tale; Gallerie Nvya, Saket, New Delhi
• Mural Workshop; FMG College, Greater Noida
• Art For Relief Charitable Show; AIFACS
• Group Show; IGNCA, New Delhi.

2012:

•  On Label; Nehru Centre, London, UK.
• 2011: “
• Carpe Diem”; Gallerie Nvya,Saket,New Delhi
• “Untitled”; Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi.
• “Chehera”; Religare Gallery, New Delhi
• Group Show; Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi

2010:

• Group show; Lokayta, Hauzkhas Village, New Delhi.
• Group show;  AIFACS, New Delhi.
• Group Show; India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

2009:

• Group Show at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
•  Group Show at Gung Gallery, Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi

2008:

• Group Show; India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
• Group Show; Muktodhara Gallery, Sanskriti Bhavan Trust, New Delhi.
• Group Show; Travancore House, New Delhi.