Dayanita Singh
Encyclopedia
Dayanita Singh is an India
n photographer, lives and works in New Delhi
and now also is partly based in Goa
, who is known for her portraits of India's urban middle and upper class families. Most of her work is in black-and-white, though of late she has also delved into colour, and starting in 1980s she worked as a photo journalist on assignments for international magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times, before switching to documentary-style and portrait photography.
Over the years, she has published several books, including Myself Mona Ahmed (2001) and Go Away Closer (2007). and shown at galleries in Rome, New York, Berlin, London, Milan and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Many of her works, are now part of the collection of National Gallery of Modern Art
, Delhi. She received the 2008 Prince Claus Award
. and also the 2008 Gardner Photography Fellowship, given by Peabody Museum
at Harvard.
, Ahmedabad
. In 1987 and 1988, she studied Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at the International Center of Photography
, New York
.
She started her career, when while shooting tabla player, Zakir Hussain
at a concert, she tripped and fell, subsequently Zakir called her for a private photo session, thus starting his career and he continues to be her mentor.
While working as a photo journalist, for an article, from The Times of London in 1989, she found a new direction as it started a long-term, career-altering project. Finally, in 2001, her book titled 'Myself Mona Ahmed' was published by Scalo, which covers 13 years of photographing Mona, a eunuch (Hijra
) whom the photographer also sees as her friend. "The best part for me was that she (Mona) wrote the text for the book herself, dictated as e-mails to the publisher in Switzerland. So she decided what was told and how," said Singh in an interview.
Singh also had a show of her work on the holy city of Varanasi (Benares) at the Ikon Gallery. These included images from the Anandamayee Ma Ashraam. Singh has spent a month as artist-in-residence at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Her dream is to one-day start a museum in Goa. "I also would have liked to make an archive of all the family portraits existing in Goan homes". Some of Singh's work is also shown in some of the big names of photography in cities like Munich and Florida.
-release was held at the Literati
book outlet in Candolim, in February 2007.
Says a media mention of "Go Away Closer": "Singh’s visual compositions don’t give much away, not least because they are accompanied by no tagging, but also because the subjects defy immediate identification." Together with the exhibition is a small publication of the same name and which include 31 of these images.
Singh has said in an interview: "Black-and-white photography is the most fragile form of art. I want my images to be of historical interest to researchers in the future." Singh is seen as having chosen to work with the prestigious Frith Street Gallery, London. She controls her editions and she only publishes with the prestigious Steidl, a prominent publisher in literature and visual arts. As far as her work goes, there are only some 106 photographs in edition after 26 years of photography.
Singh, earlier based in Delhi, has made a name for herself in an otherwise male-dominanted field, by attracting attention for her feature and news-based photographs in capitals across the globe.
A retrospective of the artist's work is planned at the Hamburger Bahnhoff in the German capital of Berlin in the past, along with a book from reputed publisher Scalo, focussing on the same work. "My publisher and guide made the decision of the retrospective after seeing my Goa images. That's the kind of difference Goa made to my work," she said in an interview.
In particular, Singh has been infatuated by the old world charms of a quaint village called Saligao, which lies just outside the beach-belt. Except in recent years when villagers have protested the large quantities of water being transported from here to the beach-belt, and the dumping of holidayers garbage nearby, the village has been mainly aloof from the hustle and bustle of the over-commercialised beach belt.
She suggests that someone could in fact start 'architectural tours' in a Goa which is itself struggling to find ways to emerge from its current image of being a low-budget sand-and-surf tourist destination, to one which could claim its historical legacy as a meeting place for East and West, both in the past and possibly in the present.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n photographer, lives and works in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
and now also is partly based in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, who is known for her portraits of India's urban middle and upper class families. Most of her work is in black-and-white, though of late she has also delved into colour, and starting in 1980s she worked as a photo journalist on assignments for international magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times, before switching to documentary-style and portrait photography.
Over the years, she has published several books, including Myself Mona Ahmed (2001) and Go Away Closer (2007). and shown at galleries in Rome, New York, Berlin, London, Milan and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Many of her works, are now part of the collection of National Gallery of Modern Art
National Gallery of Modern Art
The National Gallery of Modern Art is the leading Indian art gallery. The main museum at New Delhi was established on March 29, 1954 by the Government of India, with subsequent branches at Mumbai and Bangalore...
, Delhi. She received the 2008 Prince Claus Award
Prince Claus Awards
The Prince Claus Fund was inaugurated in 1996, named in honor of Prince Claus of The Netherlands. It receives an annual subsidy from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs....
. and also the 2008 Gardner Photography Fellowship, given by Peabody Museum
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is a museum affiliated with Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.Founded in 1866, the Peabody Museum is one of the oldest and largest museums focusing on anthropological material, and is particularly strong in New World ethnography and...
at Harvard.
Education
From 1980 to 1986 she studied Visual Communication at the National Institute of DesignNational Institute of Design
The article for the postgraduate campus can be found at National Institute of Design Gandhinagar and National Institute of Design BangaloreNational Institute of Design is a design school in India. The institute functions as an autonomous body under the Department of Industrial Policy and...
, Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
. In 1987 and 1988, she studied Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at the International Center of Photography
International Center of Photography
The International Center of Photography is a photography museum, school, and research center in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
She started her career, when while shooting tabla player, Zakir Hussain
Zakir Hussain (musician)
Zakir Hussain , , is an Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer.-Early life:Hussain was born in Mumbai, India to the legendary tabla player Alla Rakha. He attended St...
at a concert, she tripped and fell, subsequently Zakir called her for a private photo session, thus starting his career and he continues to be her mentor.
Myself Mona Ahmed
Hijra (South Asia)
In the culture of South Asia, hijras or chakka in Kannada, khusra in Punjabi and kojja in Telugu are physiological males who have feminine gender identity, women's clothing and other feminine gender roles. Hijras have a long recorded history in the Indian subcontinent, from the antiquity, as...
) whom the photographer also sees as her friend. "The best part for me was that she (Mona) wrote the text for the book herself, dictated as e-mails to the publisher in Switzerland. So she decided what was told and how," said Singh in an interview.
Singh also had a show of her work on the holy city of Varanasi (Benares) at the Ikon Gallery. These included images from the Anandamayee Ma Ashraam. Singh has spent a month as artist-in-residence at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Her dream is to one-day start a museum in Goa. "I also would have liked to make an archive of all the family portraits existing in Goan homes". Some of Singh's work is also shown in some of the big names of photography in cities like Munich and Florida.
2007 book
In 2007, her book of caption-less photographs 'Go Away Closer' was published by Steidl Verlag. The IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
-release was held at the Literati
Literati
Literati may refer to:*Intellectuals or those who read and comment on literature*The scholar-bureaucrats or literati of imperial China**Literati painting, also known as the Southern School of painting, developed by Chinese literati...
book outlet in Candolim, in February 2007.
Says a media mention of "Go Away Closer": "Singh’s visual compositions don’t give much away, not least because they are accompanied by no tagging, but also because the subjects defy immediate identification." Together with the exhibition is a small publication of the same name and which include 31 of these images.
Singh has said in an interview: "Black-and-white photography is the most fragile form of art. I want my images to be of historical interest to researchers in the future." Singh is seen as having chosen to work with the prestigious Frith Street Gallery, London. She controls her editions and she only publishes with the prestigious Steidl, a prominent publisher in literature and visual arts. As far as her work goes, there are only some 106 photographs in edition after 26 years of photography.
Images without people
Until Singh visited Goa in 1999, she says she could "never imaging making images without people". But the change has been drastic. "Now I photograph clouds!," she said in an interview.Singh, earlier based in Delhi, has made a name for herself in an otherwise male-dominanted field, by attracting attention for her feature and news-based photographs in capitals across the globe.
A retrospective of the artist's work is planned at the Hamburger Bahnhoff in the German capital of Berlin in the past, along with a book from reputed publisher Scalo, focussing on the same work. "My publisher and guide made the decision of the retrospective after seeing my Goa images. That's the kind of difference Goa made to my work," she said in an interview.
In particular, Singh has been infatuated by the old world charms of a quaint village called Saligao, which lies just outside the beach-belt. Except in recent years when villagers have protested the large quantities of water being transported from here to the beach-belt, and the dumping of holidayers garbage nearby, the village has been mainly aloof from the hustle and bustle of the over-commercialised beach belt.
Exhibitions, beyond stereotype
Incidentally, her 'Goa work' formed a major part at a solo show put up in the Frith Street Gallery in London recent years. "I think the Goa work will always be part of any major show I have," Singh argued. "Mostly people cannot believe this is Goa. (There are) no beaches, no colour, just little details, as though hints of something, not quite telling the whole story. So people get intrigued," commented Singh.She suggests that someone could in fact start 'architectural tours' in a Goa which is itself struggling to find ways to emerge from its current image of being a low-budget sand-and-surf tourist destination, to one which could claim its historical legacy as a meeting place for East and West, both in the past and possibly in the present.
Solo exhibitions
- 1997 Images from the 90s, Scalo Galerie, Zurich
- 1998 Family Portraits, Nature MorteGallery Nature MorteGallery Nature Morte is an art gallery that deals predominantly in Indian contemporary art. It currenty has three locations, galleries in New Delhi, Gurgaon , and Berlin . Gallery Nature Morte is partners with Bose Pacia Gallery in New York.- History :The gallery's founder, Peter Nagy originally...
, New Delhi - 1999 Mona Darling, Venezia Immagine, Venice
- 1999 Family Portraits, Studio Guenzani, Milan
- 2000 Demello Vado, Saligao Institute, Goa
- 2000 I am as I am, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham
- 2000 Dayanita Singh, Gallery Rodolphe Janssen, Brussels
- 2000 Dayanita Singh, Tempo Festival, Stockholm
- 2001 Empty Spaces, Frith Street Gallery, London
- 2002 I am as I am, Myself Mona Ahmed, Scalo Galerie, Zurich
- 2002 Parsees at Home, Gallery Chemould, Bombay
- 2002 Bombay to Goa, Kalaghoda Festival, Bombay
- 2002 Bombay to Goa, Art House India, Goa
- 2003 Dayanita Singh: Privacy, Nationalgalerie im Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin
- 2003 Myself Mona Ahmed, Museum für Indische Kunst, Berlin
- 2003 Dayanita Singh: Image/Text (Photographs 1989–2002), Department of Art and Aesthetics. Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
- 2004 Privacy, rencontres-arles. Arles
- 2005 Chairs , Isabella Stewart Gardner museum, Boston
- 2005 Chairs, Frith street gallery, London
- 2005 Chairs, Studio Guenzani, Milan
- 2006 Beds and Chairs, Valentina Bonomo gallery, Rome
- 2006 Go Away Closer, Nature MorteGallery Nature MorteGallery Nature Morte is an art gallery that deals predominantly in Indian contemporary art. It currenty has three locations, galleries in New Delhi, Gurgaon , and Berlin . Gallery Nature Morte is partners with Bose Pacia Gallery in New York.- History :The gallery's founder, Peter Nagy originally...
, New Delhi - 2008 Les Rencontres d'Arles festival, France.
- 2007 Go Away Closer, Kriti gallery, Banaras
- 2007 Go Away Closer, Gallerie Steinruecke + Mirchandani, Bombay
- 2007 Beds and Chairs, Gallery Chemould, Bombay
- 2010 Dayanita Singh (Photographs 1989 - 2010), Huis Marseille, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Group exhibitions
- 1995 So many worlds—Photographs from DU Magazine, Holderbank, Aargau, Switzerland
- 1997 India—A Contemporary View, Asian Arts Museum, San Francisco
- 1997 India—A Celebration of Independence,1947–1997 Philadelphia Museum of Fine Arts, Philadelphia
- 1997 Out of India, Contemporary Art of the South Asian Diaspora, Queens Museum of Art, New York
- 1998 Another India, Crealdé School of Art, Orlando, Florida
- 1998 La Filature, Mulhouse, France
- 1999 Another Girl, Another Planet, Greenberg Gallery, New York
- 1999 Inferno and Paradiso, BildMuseet Umeå, Sweden
- 1999 Worlds of Work – images of the south, Musée d'ethnographie, Geneva
- 2000 Century City, Tate Modern, London
- 2002 Red Light, Australian Center for Photography, Sydney
- 2002 Kapital und Karma. Aktuelle Positionen indischer Kunst, Kunsthalle, Wien
- 2002 Bollywood – Das indische Kino und die Schweiz, Museum für GestaltungMuseum of Design ZürichThe Museum of Design, Zurich is a museum for industrial design, visual communication, architecture, and craft in Zurich, Switzerland.- Overview :...
, Zürich - 2002 Banaras: The Luminous City, Asia Society, New York
- 2002 Photo Sphere, Nature MorteGallery Nature MorteGallery Nature Morte is an art gallery that deals predominantly in Indian contemporary art. It currenty has three locations, galleries in New Delhi, Gurgaon , and Berlin . Gallery Nature Morte is partners with Bose Pacia Gallery in New York.- History :The gallery's founder, Peter Nagy originally...
, New Delhi - 2003 Architektur der Obdachlosigkeit, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich
- 2003 The Family, Windsor Gallery, Florida
- 2004 Ten Commandments, Stiftung Deutsches Hygiene-Museum, Dresden
- 2004 Edge of Desire, art gallery of Western Australia, Perth
- 2005 Presence, Sepia International, New York
- 2005 Edge of Desire, Asia Society, New York
- 2006 Sub-Contingent, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin
- 2006 The Eighth Square, Ludwig Museum, Cologne
- 2006 Cities in Transition, NYC, Boston Hartford
- 2007 Private/Corporate, Sammlung Daimler Chrysler, Berlin
- 2011 Paris-Delhi-Bombay, Musée National d'Art ModerneMusée National d'Art ModerneThe Musée National d'Art Moderne is the national museum for modern art of France. It is located in Paris and is housed in the Centre Pompidou in the 4th arrondissement of the city. Created in 1947, it was then housed in the Palais de Tokyo and moved to its current location in 1977...
, Paris
External links
- Dayanita Singh at Gallery Nature Morte
- Dayanita Singh on Frith StreetFrith StreetFrith Street is in the Soho area of London, England. To the north is Soho Square and to the south is Shaftesbury Avenue. The street crosses Old Compton Street, Bateman Street and Romilly Street.- History :...
gallery - Aveek Sen on Dayanita Singh's "Go Away Closer", a comment titled "A distance of one's own". The Telegraph
- Dyanita Singh, Huis Marseille, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 2010 exhibition