Sujata Singh is a talented artist and visual arts teacher, instructing the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at The British School, New Delhi.
Together with her colleagues, she has taken the British School Art Department to high levels and it is now one of the best in India.
Sujata, daughter of distinguished former Indian High Commissioner to London Dr. I. P Singh, went to school in Khartoum, Sudan.
She took an Honours BA at Lady Sri Ram College, Delhi University, before doing an A level in Art and Pre-Foundation Course at Camden Arts Centre. Then she did a Foundation Course at Central School of Art and Design, London. This was followed by a three- year Diploma Course in Graphic Design and Illustration at The Wimbledon School of Art and Design, University of the Arts, London.
In 2007, Sujata did a one year Diploma Course in History of Art and Culture of India, National Museum, New Delhi.
Sujata soon became well established as an exhibiting artist in India and abroad. Recruited by the British School in Delhi, she has been able to pass on her learning to her students. She travels the world on behalf of the British School in order to study the latest trends in the art world and absorb international influences.
How does Sujata feel about the world of illustration, and what is it, precisely? She said,
“As an art student in London in the mid- eighties, ‘Illustration Art’ seemed the most obvious and attractive choice to specialise in. Editorial Illustration was at its peak and illustrators of the time were taking risks.
The flexibility of themes and wide- ranging content that an Illustrator could access, was for me, the most attractive and inspiring aspect of the genre.
As someone who loved drawing- to visually express myself and my inner creativity as well as to depict the world around me through lines, doodles, observations and sketches- illustration seemed a natural progression in the development of my personal artistic language.”
Sujata has designed and illustrated for magazines like Link, for designer Ritu Kumar and for an animation series; “Children with Indira Rana.”
She also designed and illustrated for Jazz India, and for a project for the Government of India’s “The Rural Postal Life.” She has also illustrated Vikram Seth’s poems.
Sujata’s work is now part of private collections across the world.
We asked her about the challenges of establishing herself in India.
“There were huge challenges. Nobody in Delhi really understood what illustration was. Publishers and editors knew about cartoonists but did not really know how to 'use' illustrators or how to exploit the impact of images created for written pieces.
It was also a very unprofessional environment. It was difficult to contact editors and publishers directly to show them my portfolio, there was low payment, etc. Most editors lacked a visual sensibility and were unwilling to take risks.
A meeting with Aroon Purie of India Today changed everything. He asked me to get in touch with the editor of his children's magazine- Target. This was Rosalind Wilson who was an English expat working in India. She gave me a job immediately. Through her I met editors, writers and publishers, many of whom I still work with. There followed a boom period for illustrators with a burgeoning of travel magazines, financial and business magazines and newspapers and of course fashion and lifestyle publications as India liberalised in the late 80s and 90s. Book publishing also mushroomed and I did a number of book covers and children's books for the newly launched Penguin India.”
Sujata has exhibited in London, Paris, and the International Festival of Cartoon and illustration, Sierre, Switzerland. Sujata was one of the Indian Illustrators for children at the International Children’s Book Fair in Bologna and also took part in an Exhibition of Indian illustrators at the Indian International Centre, Delhi.
She finds illustration in India on the uptick.
“Illustration went through a low phase in India with the easy availability of ready- made digital imagery but things are now improving. There is an acknowledgement of the value of commissioning original images to accompany articles and short stories in publications.
It is not difficult to find work in book publishing, advertising or in design firms. Teaching is a great option as you get a steady income and have vacations to work on projects or commissions.
Being an artist is tough- building up a body of work, finding a gallery that believes in you and then hopefully manages to sell your work can be frustrating and lonely work. Thankfully with the internet it is now simpler to share one's work with a wider audience and sell on-line. I am still to explore this option, though!”
-----
“Illustration seemed a natural progression in the development of my personal artistic language” Sujata Singh
