The Art House is delighted to stage the first major solo exhibition by Charan Singh, whose practice is informed by his involvement with HIV/AIDS work and community activism. He uses photography, video and text to explore a ‘pre-English language’ life to create artistic resistance through storytelling and fictional fragments – expressing multi-layered gender experiences and the ephemeral nature of queer desire.
Following his 2023 residency at The Art House, Singh has developed a new series of sculpture and photographic studio portraits. Through the medium of photography, The Promise of Beauty will re-examine and re-create minor figures from Company Paintings – hybrid paintings made in India, by Indian artists, many of whom worked for European patrons.
The artist uses these explorations to disrupt Euro-American versions of queerness. He subverts the genre by disorienting the viewer’s gaze, who may be familiar with this style of painting and ‘oriental photographs’ taken by Western artists. However, closer inspection reveals Singh’s works are self-portraits, dealing with the themes of intimacy, vulnerability and desire.
See Exhibition Access details at the bottom of this page
ACCESS
This exhibition is featured in the Main Gallery. Full access details will be updated before the show opens to the public.
-The Main Gallery is well-lit.
-The gallery is Guide and Support dog-friendly (We ask that dogs be kept on leads).
-The room has level access, and allows space for wheelchair/mobility aid/pushchair users or people with Guide dogs to pass comfortably.
-The exhibition includes Audio, Braille, Easier Read and Dyslexia-friendly interpretations.
-Sensory ear defenders are available for use during your visit, and can be picked up at the front desk.
We also offer exhibition private views by appointment.
See our Access Page more information