Arpita Singh, painter known for her figurative works, dies in Delhi at 89

Arpita Singh, one of India’s best-known modern painters, died at Fortis Hospital in Delhi on 9 November. She was 89.

Her husband, the artist Paramjit Singh, told the news agency PTI that she had suffered from heart and lung problems for some years but had kept working. Her health worsened over her last three days, and she was admitted to hospital.

Ms. Singh was known for detailed figurative paintings, usually built around a woman. Her crowded canvases drew on the social upheavals and humanitarian crises of her time. In her early years she worked at the Weavers’ Service Centre, and textile patterns ran through her later work.

Her honours included the Padma Bhushan, given in 2011, and a Lalit Kala Akademi Fellowship, given in 2014.

The art curator Uma Nair called her the “high priestess of contemporary Indian art”. Ms. Nair said she wove violence, chaos and patriarchal customs into her work very softly.

Ms. Singh is survived by her husband. Their only daughter, the artist Anjum Singh, died of cancer in 2020.