Famous Painter Sobha Singh
Birth : Sardar Sobha Singh was born on 29 November 1901 in a Sikh family in Sri Hargobindpur, Gurdaspur district of Punjab.
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Family Background :
- His mother, Ichhran Devi, died when he was four years old. He grew up in his native village. There he learned to draw and make small sculptures.
- His father, Deva Singh, worked in the Indian cavalry (army). His father scolded him for drawing pictures. He did not like his son’s interest in art because he thought artists always stayed poor.
- In 1923, he married Bibi Inder Kaur on the day of Baisakhi
Education Background :When Sobha Singh was 15 years old, he joined the Industrial School in Amritsar to learn art and craft for one year.
Career:
- Sobha Singh joined the British Indian Army in 1919 as a draftsman. He worked in Iraq (Baghdad, Mesopotamia) until 1923.
- In 1923, he left the army and opened his own art studio in Amritsar in 1923.
- In 1926, he went to Lahore and started a film company. He made a film called ‘But-Tarash'.
- In 1931, Sobha Singh moved to Delhi. He became successful there and made posters for the Indian Railways and the Post and Telegraph Department.
- In 1946, he went back to Lahore and opened his studio in Anarkali. He was working as an art director for a film, but he had to leave the city because of the partition of the country.
- In 1949, he settled in Andretta near Palampur. It was a small and little-known place in the Kangra Valley. There he began his career as a painter.
Today, this place is famous because of the Sobha Singh Art Gallery and Museum. His family has also started an Artist Residency in the ‘Grow More Good’ complex
Paintings :
He believed that all religions are equal. Most of his paintings are about Sikhism. He did not paint the Sikh fights against the Mughal rulers because he loved peace, harmony, and brotherhood among people.
His world-famous paintings are Sohni Mahiwal, Portraits of Sikh Gurus, Kangra Bride, and Gaddi belle, Heer Ranjha.
The first painting of the Kangra Bride was bought by Lady Mountbatten.
The first painting of Sohni–Mahiwal was bought by Dr. Karan Singh, the son of Raja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir.
After his portraits of Guru Nanak and other Sikh Gurus were published, he became very famous among the people, especially the Sikhs.
One famous portrait of Guru Nanak was called ‘Sobha Singh Ke Nanak,’ just like people remember ‘Tulsi Ke Rama.’
This portrait was made for the SGPC and was released on the 500th birthday celebration of Guru Nanak. It was sold at a low price so that many people could buy it.
Awards :
- In 1974, The Punjab Government gave him the title of State Artist.
- In 1983, The Government of India gave him the Padma Shri in 1983.
- Punjabi University, Patiala also gave him an honorary Doctor of Literature degree.
- In July 2023, a maiden biography entitled 'Sobha Singh Artist: Life & Legacy' has been published by BlueOne.Ink. It has been authored by Dr Hirday Paul Singh.
- There is an Art Gallery by the name of ‘Sardar Sobha Singh at Andretta‘, district Kangra. The place has now become a center of tourist attraction.
- In 2001, Indian Government issued postal stamp in honour of Sobha Singh.
Legacy:
Sobha Singh passed away on August 22, 1986, in Chandigarh. His family maintains the Sobha Singh Art Gallery and Museum in Andretta, which has turned the once-remote village into a major tourist and art destination, complete with an Artist Residency. His paintings continue to inspire millions, especially among the Sikh community, and emphasize universal brotherhood over conflict.
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