The Art of Resilience: In Conversation with Artist Kuldeep Singh
Portrait of Kuldeep Singh. Courtesy of the artist.
Kuldeep Singh’s vision traverses varied realms of Indian art history, Odissi dance, and Hindustani classical music, framed by reveries of Punjab’s topographical landscapes. He navigates a full spectrum—from life’s simplest joys to the intricate anthropology of Indian society—with steady enthusiasm, embracing the slow rhythms of life amid its constant flux, all while being devoted to his art. After almost two decades of his art-making practice and a move from India to the United States, Singh takes us through his journey, including a pivotal nomination from artist Mickalene Thomas that led to his participation in the monumental 200th Anniversary show, The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition, at the Brooklyn Museum, opening October 4, 2024.
Shreya Ajmani: You initially pursued an art and dance education in India before moving to the United States. How did your move initially impact your practice?
Kuldeep Singh: I had soaring ideas, which, after a long gap of moving, I’m able to achieve now. When I moved, I realized the US is fascinating because there are people from all walks of life, but it became very challenging for me because there was such a cultural gap and culture shock.
Many people didn’t understand the Indian knowledge base, dance movement, history, and social anthropology. Everything was white-washed into either “sexual” or “exotic.” I try to steer away from these words because they are the most reductive words, lacking depth and context. For the first three years when I was in grad school, I was regularly trying to explain myself to my classmates and the people I met. That’s when I realized there was such a lack of the complex Indian mechanism of thinking that I had honed in Delhi when traveling in villages of Punjab and across India. I was not able to utilize it properly in the US because people did not understand those nuances.
Looking back at those first three years, I realized I was able to do the varied experiments in installation-based performances and paintings freely because I was on a full scholarship. I didn’t have to worry about survival like other students. I decided to utilize the resources at my university and make interdepartmental friendships. I started curating and collaborating with people, which I didn’t do in India. That’s when I began re-learning how I can use the mechanisms I had honed in India.
Kuldeep Singh, Mountain Maker in Raag Kedar (2021). Oil in linen, 18 x 14 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
SA: How has that experience informed what you seek to discover at the core of your practice?
KS: The biggest question right now is the correlation between ecology, the human body, and Indian classical music entwined with movement. These three points, which are gigantic topics in their own selves, give me an array of possibilities for physical manifestation with shifting permutations. Within ecology, I’m very interested in the topography of rural Punjab, the human body (because it is the first tool you have to train while learning dance), and music (because dance cannot happen without it). These three topics are my constant obsessions. I constantly try to entangle them to see what new permutations can be formulated between bodies, topography, and a music element, the last of which gives me my core sense of abstraction and thus builds a tease between figurative topography and abstraction. I continue my quest for discovery, juxtaposing odd pairings that are both comforting and evocative of a sense of wonder and confusion at the same time.
SA: Could you tell me a little bit about your immigration journey and its impact on your art?
KS: When I came to the US, I was an F-1 student. I didn’t have to bother about visas at that time. The challenges began after graduating with finding jobs to stay, especially living in a city like New York. I’m currently on my third Extraordinary Ability Visa. It has been a very challenging journey of trusting and bearing with the visa process. People love duping young, emerging artists, and I think when that warning is constantly at the back of your mind, you are solely thinking about your survival when you are creating art. It is very daunting. After college, I was selected for very interesting residencies like the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, but I was always thinking about managing my visa status.
Now, when I look back from a comfortable place, having worked hard on my own to survive, I have learned a lot of lessons. I have also paid a price in terms of time. Sometimes I wonder if I’m running a bit late in my life, but when I think back, I realize that the visa and other difficult situations have prepared me for different kinds of challenges in life. The most important thing is that despite these challenges, you have to work. I feel so thankful for the people in my life, myself, and the forces of nature which allowed me to continue making art despite the visa challenges. My past experiences have made me realize that new possibilities will keep coming, but the most important thing for an artist is that, no matter what, you have to make art. I’m very happy that I have a deep trust in myself and the people around me who are a great support. During the visa process, raga music also really helped me soothe down.
Studio photograph. Courtesy of Kuldeep Singh.
SA: Do you have any advice for individuals going through the visa process?
KS: I would say be honest and calm. These processes can be daunting because you don’t know the outcome. But if you see what your gravity is, it’ll help you float. There is no one formula. You really need to know what or why you want to do it. I think the biggest thing with immigrating as an artist is that you have to constantly prove how worthy you are to the US. Just trust yourself. Trust is the biggest factor—it’ll take you a long way.
SA: You’re set to be part of Brooklyn Museum’s 200th anniversary show, the Brooklyn Artists Exhibition. Could you tell me a little about your work for the show and how it came to be?
KS: I was nominated—it was a surprise to me. In February 2024, I saw an email in my inbox from Mickalene Thomas [one of the lead organizers of the exhibition] saying they wanted me to be in the show, and I was so happy! I have admired Mickalene Thomas’s practice and stature as one of the most celebrated US artists who is well-known across the globe. When she wrote to me, I was so honored. After reading the email, I immediately agreed to join. Eventually, she wanted to look at some pieces and selected a painting from 2021, which is part of my private collection. It's a small, torso-sized canvas: one of the earliest paintings in my Queer Raagmala series. I’m very happy she selected that work because it’s an important piece that is close to my heart.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
