Ranjeet Singh | Photographic prints and paintings
Curatorial Advisor: Azra Bhagat
Program Performers: Mudra, Karishma D’lima & Smruti Chauhan
Film Screening: Mouth of Hell
To a city dweller, a red sky maybe beautiful, amusing even – but to farmers and workers in the hinterlands of northern India, tinted skies portend something ominous. A famine perhaps, or dry months with no rain or sustenance – Ranjeet Singh picks up on these subtle realities when exploring the subject matter for his artworks. His art practice is not only informed by a close examination of his surroundings, both past and present, but also meanings gleaned from progressive literature and people’s mass movements to better society. He takes his role as an artist seriously and attempts to crystalize the truths that lie in plain sight, but that one always turns away from. In order to make his work purposeful and understandable by the subjects whom he chooses to record, Singh has developed a style that is visually readable, and yet can be interpreted variedly by audiences.
Ranjeet Singh, The Black Truth- 8, 36 x 60 in., Oil on Canvas, 2017
Using photography and painting as interconnected mediums with equal intensity, Singh provides an empathetic view of human suffering that is raw and universal. They serve as mnemonic devices that document his experiences in the mines. As witnessed by him, the superimposed layering of objects and humans are often punctuated by eeriness and a surreal atmosphere. The dusty and drab backgrounds echo a sense of suffocation as well as isolation – yet there is a notion of resilience in the figures, and an underlying poetry in the compositions. The coal fields transform into micro systems that are cut away from the rest of world and appear as landscapes of dystopian ruin. The figures may seem anonymous to the viewer, but the artist uses expressive devices that transform the space into one engendering more intimate connections with the subjects. Through Singh’s sensitive approach, one can perceive the miners’ awareness, and acknowledgement of having their vulnerabilities captured on film. Deeply conscious of the reality of how the coal dust effects their lungs, Singh’s imagery, particularly the photographs, reveal conditions of extreme neglect to human safety, and question society’s role in this marginalization of a community.
Ranjeet Singh, The Black Truth- 24, 36 x 46 in., Oil on Canvas, 2022
India is the fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. The country relies on almost 300 coal-fired plants and plans to build 48 more by the end of the decade. The sub-continental peninsula contains enormous coal reserves, nearly a tenth of the world’s total, and produces around 85 crore tons of coal a year. According to a government panel’s projections, the country’s demand for coal is expected to reach about 140 crore tons by 2035.[1] Jharia, Jharkhand is the one of its biggest reserves for mining, along with neighboring states in the same belt – Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Bihar.
Ranjeet Singh, The Black Truth - 14, 60 x 60 in., Oil on Canvas, 2017
With more than 3 crore persons living in the state of Jharkhand, Singh’s works are an attempt to capture the human experiences of those working in the mines. Lives of around 5 Lakh people in Jharia are at risk because of land subsidence over abandoned coal mines. The underground fires in the mines have been raging for over a century – though this barely features in any news. Noxious fumes from the coalfield fires and opencast mining have turned Jharia into a major locus of pollution in the region, which is severely impacting the health of residents. A plan to relocate people to safer areas has only been partially successful: moving a bare 3,000 families out of 1,40,000.[2] Majority of Singh’s works are based on Jharia, where mining has been a predominant activity since 1894.[3] Jharia is the most polluted city amongst the 313 surveyed in a recent Greenpeace India report.[4] While coal mining is a theme that has preoccupied the artist for the past few years, his work carries elements of the past series that reflected his involvement with NGOs working with child labour such as Save The Children, Right To Education and Gudiyan (Banaras).
Ranjeet Singh, The Black Truth Project-11, 16 x 24 in., Archival pigment print, 2018-19
Innocent faces -deprived by circumstances of the privileges of life – stare out from the canvases peopled by the infrastructure of a mining world. After documenting and researching the lives of miners for over 8 years, the artist has accumulated a vast photographic record. Documenting Jharia, he has a personal investment into the life of the individuals that he photographs as many of them have been integral to his childhood experiences and part of the environment he grew up in. His rendition of their lives escapes the clutches of the exoticization that often plagues the representation of the subjugated “other”. His brutally honest portrayal of the labourers is handled with consideration and dignity, and is directed to serve as a form of silent protest.
Ranjeet Singh, The Black Truth Project-4, 16 x 24 in., Archival pigment print, 2018-19
Reinforced by ideas of great thinkers like Sartre, Dumas, and Krishna Sobti among others, Singh’s works are a powerful depiction of human lives as witnessed by him in Jharkhand. The ashen figures of workers in the coal fields, with strained expressions, and striking eyes, recall the work of an artist whom he has great admiration for – Vincent van Gogh.
Ranjeet Singh, The Black Truth Project Installation-2, Lightbox with Mixed Media, 2022
For someone whose first love was design, Ranjeet Singh has developed a poignant and compelling visual language that addresses the challenges of our times. Treating technique and concept as means of communicating truths, he makes images that touch upon a universal sense of humanity. Whether to view these works from a formalistic view or to see them within the context placed by the artist is one’s choice. This compilation of works succeeds in evoking a recognition of the dignity of labour, and a shared understanding of the struggles of workers from many tribal areas in the country; the images urge the audience to register and reexamine the pressures of unfair social hierarchies, and the cavernous blackhole of greed that can consume the earth, and metaphorically, so much else from human lives.
- Text by Prerna SM Jain
[1] Bhattacharjee,Yudhijit. Environment And Conservation, India Is Reinventing Its Energy Strategy—And The Climate May Depend On It, National Geographic, 2022.
[2] Singh, Gurvinder. The Burning Coalfields Of Jharia Belch Poison For Local Residents, Mongabay Series: Environment and Elections, 2019
[3] Jharia- Coal field fire, Accessed on 5th August 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jharia#:~:text=Jharia%20is%20famous%20for%20a,in%20underground%20fire%20in%201930.
[4] Airpocalypse IV: National Air Monitoring Programme (Namp) & Assessment Of Air Pollution In Indian Cities, Greenpeace India, January 21, 2020
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PROGRAMMING
11th Aug.- Opening
13th Aug.- Artist's Walkthrough with Ranjeet Singh
20th Aug.- Slam Poetry & Open Mic by Karishma D’lima & Smruti Chauhan
21st Aug.- Director's Walkthrough with Prerna SM Jain
28th Aug.- Curatorial Walkthrough by Azra Bhagat
3rd Sep.- Film Screening of Mouth of Hell
10th Sep.- Nukkad Natak by Mudra
15th Sep.- Nukkad Natak & Walkthrough for Educational Institutes by Mudra & Director
17th Sep.- Nukkad Natak by Mudra & Closing
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Curatorial Essay Overview
Prerna SM Jain
Ranjeet Singh, The Black Truth - 23, 48 x 54 in., Oil on Canvas, 2022
To a city dweller, a red sky maybe beautiful, amusing even – but to farmers and workers in the hinterlands of northern India, tinted skies portend something ominous. A famine perhaps, or dry months with no rain or sustenance – Ranjeet Singh picks up on these subtle realities when exploring the subject matter for his artworks. His art practice is not only informed by a close examination of his surroundings, both past and present, but also meanings gleaned from progressive literature and people’s mass movements to better society. He takes his role as an artist seriously and attempts to crystalize the truths that lie in plain sight, but that one always turns away from. In order to make his work purposeful and understandable by the subjects whom he chooses to record, Singh has developed a style that is visually readable, and yet can be interpreted variedly by audiences.
Using photography and painting as interconnected mediums with equal intensity, Singh provides an empathetic view of human suffering that is raw and universal. They serve as mnemonic devices that document his experiences in the mines. As witnessed by him, the superimposed layering of objects and humans are often punctuated by eeriness and a surreal atmosphere. The dusty and drab backgrounds echo a sense of suffocation as well as isolation – yet there is a notion of resilience in the figures, and an underlying poetry in the compositions. The coal fields transform into micro systems that are cut away from the rest of world and appear as landscapes of dystopian ruin. The figures may seem anonymous to the viewer, but the artist uses expressive devices that transform the space into one engendering more intimate connections with the subjects. Through Singh’s sensitive approach, one can perceive the miners’ awareness, and acknowledgement of having their vulnerabilities captured on film. Deeply conscious of the reality of how the coal dust effects their lungs, Singh’s imagery, particularly the photographs, reveal conditions of extreme neglect to human safety, and question society’s role in this marginalization of a community.
India is the fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. The country relies on almost 300 coal-fired plants and plans to build 48 more by the end of the decade. The sub-continental peninsula contains enormous coal reserves, nearly a tenth of the world’s total, and produces around 85 crore tons of coal a year. According to a government panel’s projections, the country’s demand for coal is expected to reach about 140 crore tons by 2035.[1] Jharia, Jharkhand is the one of its biggest reserves for mining, along with neighboring states in the same belt – Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Bihar.
With more than 3 crore persons living in the state of Jharkhand, Singh’s works are an attempt to capture the human experiences of those working in the mines. Lives of around 5 Lakh people in Jharia are at risk because of land subsidence over abandoned coal mines. The underground fires in the mines have been raging for over a century – though this barely features in any news. Noxious fumes from the coalfield fires and opencast mining have turned Jharia into a major locus of pollution in the region, which is severely impacting the health of residents. A plan to relocate people to safer areas has only been partially successful: moving a bare 3,000 families out of 1,40,000.[2] Majority of Singh’s works are based on Jharia, where mining has been a predominant activity since 1894.[3] Jharia is the most polluted city amongst the 313 surveyed in a recent Greenpeace India report.[4] While coal mining is a theme that has preoccupied the artist for the past few years, his work carries elements of the past series that reflected his involvement with NGOs working with child labour such as Save The Children, Right To Education and Gudiyan (Banaras).
Innocent faces -deprived by circumstances of the privileges of life – stare out from the canvases peopled by the infrastructure of a mining world. After documenting and researching the lives of miners for over 8 years, the artist has accumulated a vast photographic record. Documenting Jharia, he has a personal investment into the life of the individuals that he photographs as many of them have been integral to his childhood experiences and part of the environment he grew up in. His rendition of their lives escapes the clutches of the exoticization that often plagues the representation of the subjugated “other”. His brutally honest portrayal of the labourers is handled with consideration and dignity, and is directed to serve as a form of silent protest.
Reinforced by ideas of great thinkers like Sartre, Dumas, and Krishna Sobti among others, Singh’s works are a powerful depiction of human lives as witnessed by him in Jharkhand. The ashen figures of workers in the coal fields, with strained expressions, and striking eyes, recall the work of an artist whom he has great admiration for – Vincent van Gogh.
For someone whose first love was design, Ranjeet Singh has developed a poignant and compelling visual language that addresses the challenges of our times. Treating technique and concept as means of communicating truths, he makes images that touch upon a universal sense of humanity. Whether to view these works from a formalistic view or to see them within the context placed by the artist is one’s choice. This compilation of works succeeds in evoking a recognition of the dignity of labour, and a shared understanding of the struggles of workers from many tribal areas in the country; the images urge the audience to register and reexamine the pressures of unfair social hierarchies, and the cavernous blackhole of greed that can consume the earth, and metaphorically, so much else from human lives.
[1] Bhattacharjee,Yudhijit. Environment And Conservation, India Is Reinventing Its Energy Strategy—And The Climate May Depend On It, National Geographic, 2022.
[2] Singh, Gurvinder. The Burning Coalfields Of Jharia Belch Poison For Local Residents, Mongabay Series: Environment and Elections, 2019
[3] Jharia- Coal field fire, Accessed on 5th August 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jharia#:~:text=Jharia%20is%20famous%20for%20a,in%20underground%20fire%20in%201930.
[4] Airpocalypse IV: National Air Monitoring Programme (Namp) & Assessment Of Air Pollution In Indian Cities, Greenpeace India, January 21, 2020