PAINTINGS

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How I painted

“The Patriarch”

Jarnail Singh

“How do you create such beautiful paintings?”

This is the most frequently asked question at exhibitions, meetings and functions when I am introduced as an artist. The creative process is something mysterious in which some sort of divine intervention action is suspected by the laymen and sundry .Even when after a period of time I see some of my own works hanging in a museum ,institution or private collection sometime there is a sense of amazement and wonder how these works were created.

This portrait won Daniel P Izzard Medal in the First slide Competition organized by Canadian Institute of Portrait Artists

. So much goes into a work of art that sometimes the artist himself is not aware about it at subconscious and conscious levels, perceptions working underneath. The creative process is indeed a mystery which continues to baffle the artists and the viewer alike.....

Landmark Sikh history mural unveiled in Canada

The above mural depicts, clockwise from left, Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru, builder of Akal Takhat, Throne of the Timeless. He set up Akal Takhat in front of Harmandir Sahib as the highest seat of temporal authority in Sikhism. He carried two swords symbolizing Miri, temporal authority and Piri, spiritual authority. Next Guru Har Rai, the seventh Guru is dispensing medicines to the sick and poor .Guru Har Krishan, the eighth Guru, is shown tending the ill and suffering people of Delhi during smallpox epidemic, illustrating the concept of Seva, i.e. service, in Sikhism. Next is Guru Tegh Bahadur, the Ninth Guru, sacrificing his life in Delhi to fight religious intolerance. The Guru’s martyrdom is unique in history because he sacrificed his life not to protect his own right to practice his faith but that of others, i.e. Hindus, thus standing for basic human right of freedom to practice one’s religion. Moving next is shown Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, creating the Khalsa, the pure ones by giving Amrit to the five chosen ones thus evolving the institution of Panj Pyaras who could exercise spiritual and temporal authority in Sikhism. The Guru created Khalsa, a brotherhood of Saint Soldiers, to fight injustice, oppression and tyranny. Guru Gobind Singh transformed the Sikhs into a community combining the impeccable purity of saints and fierce bravery of soldiers. Moving next we see Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh, elder sons of Guru Gobind Singh who laid down their lives fighting the Mughal army in the Battle of Chamkaur. The younger sons Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh are seen next bricked alive at Sirhind, for refusing to renounce their faith .In the centre we see Guru Gobind Singh bowing before Guru Granth Sahib. He ordained “Guru Maneo Granth” meaning that all Sikhs should treat the Granth as the living embodiment of the Ten Gurus and that in future there will be no living Guru .The Sikhs should take guidance and enlightenment from the writings in the Holy Granth Sahib.

Conceived and created by Jarnail Singh

This breathtaking work of art showing history of Sikhism is part of a continuous on going project of showing Sikh history in murals. This can be seen at Canadian Singh Sabha Gurdwara at 132nd Street and 82nd Avenue in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.

Jarnail Singh

Jarnail Singh is an artist, illustrator, designer, photographer, and art journalist. Born in Zira, a small town in northern Indian state of Punjab, he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree at Punjab University in Chandigarh. He emigrated from India to Canada in 2000, and now resides in Surrey where he has become actively involved in the local arts community. His father, Kirpal Singh, an important artist in the Punjab, first introduced him to art. From his father, he inherited not only a talent for painting, but also an appreciation for historical images, and their role in teaching the history of the Sikh faith. Jarnail Singh’s practice not only continues the tradition of classical portraits of Sikh Gurus and historical events, but also images that capture scenes of the quickly disappearing traditional Punjabi folk culture. More recently he has produced a series of portraits of the exceptionally beautiful women from the Punjab, and has begun a series of paintings of BC’s landscapes. Jarnail Singh has exhibited his paintings and photographs internationally, and is frequently sought out for commissions. His work is represented in many international collections, including the Central Sikh Museum, Sri Darbar Sahib, Golden Temple, Amritsar, and a large mural was recently completed for the Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Surrey. He has also published numerous articles, authored the book Punjabi Chitarkar (Punjabi Painters) and is a contributor to the Punjabi writer’s forum.

Discovering the Soul of Punjab-Paintings by Jarnail Singh

Painting’s dramatic, illustrative power has long been used to tell stories, to highlight and invest images with emotional content, and make the past alive and meaningful in the present. Classical, representational style paintings are important visual records, carefully created by artists to help viewers understand an event or the culture of a particular time and place. This exhibition presents a selection of works from two series of paintings by Jarnail Singh that both describe and honor the history of the Sikh faith, and scenes of traditional Punjabi culture.

Jarnail Singh was trained in India, in the studio of his father, the famous painter, Kirpal Singh[1]. Like his father, Jarnail Singh uses his talent to recreate the epic scenes that remember the battles, warriors and heroes that created and defended the Sikh faith and the Punjab region of northern India over the past five centuries. The style he chooses is a form of realism, to convey in detail the faces of individuals, their actions and surroundings. Like much of art, these paintings are intended to capture what might otherwise be transient or forgotten, and share images of people and the circumstances of their lives with others, not only across time, but around the globe.

In India, these paintings would be attributed to the traditions of the Sikh School,

particularly Guler and Kangra miniature paintings- referring to a particular region of the Punjab- which developed over the past 150 years since the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh[2]. Distinct from more traditional Sikh School paintings, this style of painting reveals a colonial influence in the form of their figures, composition and depiction of three-dimensional space.[3][4] They indicate a study of European masters such as Michelangelo,. However, their subject matter is wholly drawn from, as the artist says, “the soul of Punjab.” Jarnail Singh’s paintings express a fusion of secular and spiritual values, found in the struggles and sacrifices of the Sikh people.

The artist wishes to share the legacy and beauty of the Punjab. Many paintings are accompanied with information on the history of their subjects. Also offered are poems that have inspired the artist, or have been influential in Sikh history. The archway was conceived by the artist to suggest Sikh architecture. Additional information on the artist, India and Sikhism are provided in the reading area.

We sincerely thank the families who have generously loaned artworks for this exhibition.

Liane Davison

Curator of Exhibitions & Collections

Surrey Art Gallery

[1] Kirpal Singh (1923-1990) was noted for paintings that depicted the persecution of the Sikhs, during the Moghal rule of Punjab in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, as well as memorial images of the heroic deeds of Sikh soldiers during the Indo-Pakistan Wars, and the Anglo-Sikh Wars..

[2] Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) was not only a well loved ruler of the Punjab, he was also a liberal patron of the all the arts, employing artists to decorate the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

[3] W.G. Archer, a British art historian, writing in the 1960s, proposed there were three distinct branches of the Sikh School of painting: Guler (portraits of Gurus and dignitaries), Kangra (aristocrats and lovers) and Lahore (watercolour miniatures).

[4] Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) was not only a well loved ruler of the Punjab, he was also a liberal patron of the all the arts, employing artists to decorate the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

For information about available works and prices email us:

jarnailarts@hotmail.com, jarnailarts@gmail.com

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