Close on the heels of the annual Auto Expo in Greater Noida comes to an art exhibition that gives us glimpses of vintage cars in all their glory
Brought up in a family of car enthusiasts, it is quite natural that automobiles are reflected in the works of artist Vidita Singh.
Singh brings out novelty automobiles from the bygone era and depicts the mechanical masterpieces that they are even today. Having a passionate need to preserve India’s automotive history and tradition, she does this through her canvases. These unique works are on display at the exhibition ‘Art of the Automobile’.
A pioneer in the field of automotive restoration, her father HH Rana Manvendra Singh is a published automobile historian, and is the driving force behind the Cartier Concours d’Elegance. Hence, it was inevitable that automobiles form an important subject for her works.
The artist is inspired by the design elements of the cars and by the stories of these cars from the bygone era. “For me automobiles have a soul and I try my best to bring that out in my artwork. Either in full or parts, each car’s beauty lies not only in what the designer conceptualised but also in the styling, the lines and curves of the cars, in the reflections off the chrome and the situation the car is found in. Nostalgia plays a big part in the artworks and I try to bring alive each automobile’s beauty in its heyday,” says Singh.
Interested in art from an early age, her paintings consisted of themed cars hoisted her to the national stage. After completing college, she immersed herself in painting. Hailing from the royal family of Barwani, an erstwhile kingdom in Madhya Pradesh, Singh has had the honour of being the only Indian and amongst the few women to exhibit her art at the prestigious Automotive Fine Arts Society Exhibition at Pebble Beach Concours, California in 2018.
Singh has managed to portray automobiles and the special relations automobiles have with India in a manner that has now earned her international acclaim. Apart from having solo exhibitions in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Hong Kong, she has also been part of several exhibitions including the Cartier Concours d’Elegance as well as Pebble Beach Concours.
Working with oil on canvas, water colors, charcoal and mixed media, the paintings are on display with her line of merchandise.
The exhibition is on display at Bikaner House till February 16
