Jarnail Singh's 'Punjab Paintings'

Indian civilisation is one of the oldest in the world and its cradle was in Punjab. This, state, being the main gateway into India. was feted to be the perpetual field of battle and the first hone of all the conquerors. There is thus much in the heroic struggle which Punjab -- the sword-arm of India -- had successfully put up in fighting against the tyranny and injustice of the foreign invaders and conquerors. The Green Revolution and the amazing quantities of agricultural produce have earned this state the title of "the granary of India".

These epithets, enviable though they nay be, have lamentably relegated other significant achievements of this state, so much so that many people seem to believe that the only culture that Punjab can legitimately boast about is "agriculture". Yet, art folklore, ballads of love and war, fairs and festivals. dances, music, and Punjabi literature are what form characteristic expressions of the state's robust cultural life.


Ironically, notwithstanding the enviable martial, cultural art, and religious traditions of the state, there is a piti-able dearth of pictorial material on the Punjabi way of life and its exemplary history. It is this inspiring background which impels Jarnail singh (32) to attempt preserving what may soon be lost to posterity due to the rapid onslaught of industrialisation. His "Punjab Paintings" are thus an artist's pictorial record of "the glorious history and rich cultural heritage of Punjab".

Jarnail is the youngest of those few Punjabi artists who have been attracted to the themes of this state's lifestyle, art and culture. Perhaps, this is due to the influence of his artist-father, Kirpal Singh (well known for his evocative paintings of the Anglo-Sikh wars), who is
responsible for his art training. Jarnail longs to a pathetic minority of artists who practice art as a livelihood.
A BA in History and Economics, the young painter has been participating in the annual art exhibitions of the Punjab Kala Akademi since 1975. Besides, he has already held 3 one-man shows. Jarnail paints in oils on canvas of two sizes 3ft x 4ft and 2ft x 3ft..

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