Ayesha Singh's works investigate legacies of colonialism and hierarchy embedded in the architectural pastiches that construct our cities and homes. Through photography, drawing, video and installation, and an emphasis on movement and displacement; she questions how far architecture defines our identities. Material and scale play a significant role in examining the malleability of public and private space in both its physical and illusory presentations. Singh's hand caresses ornamentation on columns through videos. The viewer walks through sculptural-drawings suspended in a space that embody forms of hybrid structures. The works explore notions of authenticity, authority and agency in relation to belonging and permanence. Born in New Delhi (1990), Ayesha Singh is currently based in Chicago pursuing an MFA in Sculpture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago(SAIC), USA. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Art in Sculpture, from the Slade School of Fine Art (2013) and received a diploma in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London, UK (2010). She has exhibited solo shows at the Gujral Foundation, New Delhi, India (2017); Exhibit320, New Delhi, India (2016); and has participated in several group shows including Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield, UK (2017); Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai, India (2017); Hyde Park Art Centre, Chicago, USA (2017); IGNCA, New Delhi, India (2015); Casa de Dona Gisele, Curitiba, Brazil (2015); GallerySke, New Delhi, India (2014); University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK (2014); and Reading University, Reading, UK (2013). Singh is the recipient of the Arts, Science & Culture Initiative Grant from the University of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, along with the Dean's Professional Development Award and the International Student Scholarship, both from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA. |