About

The Art House is delighted to stage the first major solo exhibition by Charan Singh, whose practice is informed by his involvement with HIV/AIDS work and community activism. He uses photography, video and text to explore a ‘pre-English language’ life to create artistic resistance through storytelling and fictional fragments – expressing multi-layered gender experiences and the ephemeral nature of queer desire.


Following his 2023 residency at The Art House, Singh has developed a new series of sculpture and photographic studio portraits. Through the medium of photography, The Promise of Beauty will re-examine and re-create minor figures from Company Paintings – hybrid paintings made in India, by Indian artists, many of whom worked for European patrons.


The artist uses these explorations to disrupt Euro-American versions of queerness. He subverts the genre by disorienting the viewer’s gaze, who may be familiar with this style of painting and ‘oriental photographs’ taken by Western artists. However, closer inspection reveals Singh’s works are self-portraits, dealing with the themes of intimacy, vulnerability and desire.


Venue opening hours

Monday : Closed

Tuesday : 9:30 am - 4:00 pm

Wednesday : 9:30 am - 4:00 pm

Thursday : 9:30 am - 4:00 pm

Friday : 9:30 am - 4:00 pm

Saturday : 9:30 am - 4:00 pm

Sunday : Closed

    Access facilities

  • Accessible Toilet
  • Assistance Dogs Welcome
  • Audio Described
  • Baby Changing Facilities
  • Braille And Tactile Signage
  • Wheelchair Accessible

Venue Details

Find us at

Drury Lane, Wakefield, WF1 2TE

Phone

01924312000

Email

info@the-arthouse.org.uk