INDIAN ARMY COLLECTION INSPIRES NEW WORKS OF ART

Picture: Depicts the changing faces of Maharaja Duleep Singh by Amrit Kaur Bhamra.

Within the National Army Museum’s Indian Army collection, there are many hidden and under-represented stories and themes, including the role of women. Through the‘Kaur Values’ project a group of artists from the Sikh community were invited to create exciting new pieces inspired by the collection items.

In this video, project participants  what inspired them to create their artwork, and miniature painting expert Amrit Kaur explains how getting hands-on with the collection items makes all the difference.

The pieces created include paintings and miniatures. Miniatures are small and colourful pieces of art, which use intricate brushwork and precious materials, and have been a part of Indian culture since the 17th century.

One of the new artworks is by Tejinder Kaur. She chose to shed light on the exceptional story of Sophia Duleep Singh, a princess of Punjab who went on to be a pioneer for women’s rights and a prominent suffragette in Britain.

In this painting Sophia is seen sitting on the famous golden throne of her grandfather, Maharaja Ranjit Singh. By including an armband, Tejinder references Sophia’s work as a nurse during the First World War.

The art work was launched at the Wallace Collection on the 23rd May 2016.

Original post at: http://www.nam.ac.uk/microsites/future/2293/directors-blog/indian-army-collection-inspires-new-works-of-art/