Rising from the ashes

"Sometimes I think what I do on the canvas is no different from when I farmed.

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My brush is like an extension of the stubble, fire operates as colour and process; the canvas is like the field. It transforms into a terrain where agrarian labour and artistic gesture converge, carrying traces of time, erosion and care," says Kulpreet Singh, whose installation comprising paintings and a film from his larger project, Indelible Black Marks (2022-), tackles issues of stubble-burning, air pollution, food security, farmer's rights.

The 40-year-old is a literal son of the soil. Patiala-based, he comes from a family of farmers. As an artist, his materials of choice include ash from burnt crop stubble and nails strewn on the roads to deter farmers from progressing to Delhi during the protests in 2021. His mediums include performance, video, sound and canvas. Put together, his body of work, presented by Galerie Mirchandani+Steinruecke, is authentic, urgent.