A major solo exhibition of Indian artist and pioneer Arpita Singh’s work has just opened at Serpentine North. Showcasing her six-decade career, it’s the Serpentine’s first exhibition of 2025 and Muddy’s Joe Wald was invited along for a preview.

Six decades, and yet I’m only hearing about her now?

I know, right? Singh’s a name we should all know, not only for her art but also for her kick-ass feminism. Born in 1937 in what is now West Bengal, she rose to prominence in the 60s as one of India’s most significant post-independence-era artists.

She was part of a small group of female artists who shifted the balance of the predominantly male industry, and her work has touched themes ranging from mythology to the contemporary political landscape. In the last three decades, she has dealt in particular with motherhood, the ageing female form and feminine sensuality.

Sounds fascinating, what’s the exhibit like?

Remembering is by no means a whopper – 165 works in oil, acrylic, ink, sketching and etching fill just one large room. But it’ll easily stretch out over an hour and a bit if you’ve got the time, as there’s just so much detail to take in.

Singh doesn’t waste an inch of canvas, and there’s lots to get lost in on every one of her pieces. Her works are strewn with certain circular motifs – turtles, cars, planes, flowers – which float in spaces on the canvas. In normal life, says Singh, we don’t make the rules, but her canvas is her space and she does it her way. If she wants a tiny motorcycle suspended next to a giant lemon, she’ll do it.

Her human figures are captivating, and I was particularly taken with the recurring ‘men with black jackets’, representing bureaucracy in Delhi. They look like mafia men out of a Bollywood remake of The Godfather – love it.

The verdict

As the title suggests, this exhibition has much to do with reminiscing on an expansive artistic career and a period of monumental global upheaval. Tracing the motifs, like the pistols and the roses, as they recur throughout the exhibition, it leads you to question: what are our roses, what are our pistols? What images continue to resurface in our lives, what ideas remain unshaken in otherwise fluid landscapes? It’s a room to reflect, basically.

On another level you’ll enjoy it simply because of Singh’s great use of vibrant colours, intricate details and paintings that pull the gaze from left to right and expand the longer you look.

Out and about

As the weather perks up, tie in a sunny wander round Notting Hill (stop in at Normah’s for a stunning authentic Malaysian meal), grab a sweet treat at The Connaught Patisserie in Mayfair, shop till you drop in Knightsbridge or Bayswater (or both). If it’s past 5 o’clock (somewhere), head to Julie’s by Holland Park for an aperitif in one of London’s finest residential idylls.

Arpita Singh: Remembering runs until Sun 27 Jul at Serpentine North, free admission.