An artist born and raised in Delhi, Ayesha Singh is an observer of the city’s complex historical and socio-political dynamics, especially as they become recorded in its architecture. Her studio reflects her interest and attachment to the city — with files full of photographs, piles of sketchbooks with annotated drawings of monuments and shelves stacked with diaries and history books.
“I reference various histories so [the works] are an amalgamation themselves,” says the artist, who is known for her wide-ranging work, from graphite drawings, performances and videos to large building-sized installations created in collaboration with artist Misael Soto. For Singh, monuments — old and new — are an important entry point into understanding the layers of the city and the “movement of cultures and religions that have come into a city and gone out of a city.”
In this BMW Artist Film, we explore Singh’s Delhi — home to both ancient structures and modern developments that act as keepers of stories “hidden in plain sight.”
Ayesha Singh lives and works in New Delhi. Singh’s work explores history and architecture and has created installations for sites in cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Yorkshire, Chicago and Miami. She has also shown with Shrine Empire Gallery and Exhibit320 at previous editions of India Art Fair.