‘Symphony of Expressions’ to mark Sobha Singh’s birth anniversary

To commemorate the 124th birth anniversary of the artist Sobha Singh, a series of art and cultural activities will be organised at Andretta, 15 km from here, and in other cities across Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

The Sobha Singh Memorial Art Society (SSMAS), in collaboration with YS College, Barnala, will host a two-day art event titled ‘Symphony of Expressions’ on November 8–9 at the Sobha Singh Art Gallery, Andretta. The programme will feature on-the-spot painting and sculpture-making, stage skits and plays, talks and lectures on the artist’s life and work and musical performances inspired by art and creativity.

The event will be inaugurated by KG Butail, president, SSMAS, in the presence of 60 students from YS College, participants from local schools, art enthusiasts and followers of Sobha Singh’s legacy.

As part of the extended celebrations, YS College will also host a lecture and slideshow on Sobha Singh’s art at its Barnala campus on November29. Later in the month, art organisations in Bathinda, Jagraon, Ludhiana and Gurdaspur will organise art workshops to pay tribute to him.

During his 39-year stay at Andretta, Sobha Singh painted hundreds of paintings. His main focus was Sikh Gurus, their life and work.

His paintings of Sohni Mahiwal and Heer Ranjha were also very popular. He also painted impressive portraits of national heroes and leaders like Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Kartar Singh Sarabha, Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri, etc.

He died in Chandigarh on August 22, 1986. Andretta (Palampur) became popular because of Sobha Singh Art Gallery and many visitors from all over the world visit Andretta to see his art.