Stroke of excellence: UK artists restore Sobha Singh’s art
Ravinder Sood
Palampur, March 27
Internationally acclaimed art restorer Ian Barrand and UK-based visual artist Bhajan Kaur Hunjan helped give a new life to the priceless paintings of eminent artist Sobha Singh at his eponymous art gallery in Andretta, 11 km from here.
Over 10 days, the duo undertook conservation and restoration work at the gallery, building upon their previous visits in 2012 and 2014.
Barrand focused his expertise on Singh’s 1975 piece depicting Guru Teg Bahadur. Despite several cracks, the painting was successfully restored to its original pristine glory. Initially, issues such as flaking, paint loss and yellowing varnish worried Barrand, who expressed uncertainty about the outcome.
However, drawing upon his extensive four-decade experience working on art collections worldwide, the UK-based restorer completed the challenging project, emphasising the painting’s immense value as a testament to the late artist’s mastery in capturing the essence of the Sikh Gurus.
Hunjan cleaned and repaired over a dozen original frames of paintings showcased in the gallery. She also employed her expertise to clean several dozen slides of original works. Hunjan’s unwavering dedication to the project has been exceptional from its inception, recognising the importance of regular care and maintenance, particularly in the region’s humid climate — a responsibility meticulously upheld by the late artist’s family.
Sobha Singh’s grandson Dr Hirday Paul Singh extended his heartfelt appreciation to both experts and the ‘Sobha Singh Arts Group UK’ for their invaluable contributions and fundraising efforts that made the project possible. Actress Deepti Naval, who specially flew in from Mumbai, witnessed the transformative results achieved by the experts, expressing her profound admiration for the project
In recognition of their contributions, members of the Sobha Singh Memorial Art Society as well as fellow artists honoured both experts in a gratitude ceremony held today.
