Patrick Singh shows some of his books to visitors at the African Festival in Katara. In the background is a collection of his paintings. PICTURE: Joey Aguilar
By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter
Here’s a French artist who is in love with Africa.
Patrick Singh, who is exhibiting his works at the seven-day African Festival in Katara - the Cultural Village, has explored African culture and people through his creations for more than 25 years.
“Normally, there is a story behind every painting. It is very simple, it’s not spectacular. But sometimes it is,” said Singh, who often narrates the story behind a painting.
For years, the subject of Singh’s work has been African men and women in the streets of Mali, Nigeria and other countries. His work also focuses on the African diaspora, which he finds in cultures across the world.
“When I draw a face, it’s like I’m painting a stormy sky, scenery, landscape or a territory,” he said. “The idea is to get the power of the landscape in a figure.”
While in Nigeria, he saw a man who portrayed himself as the guard of a shrine and named his painting accordingly.
In Rwanda, he encountered many women who wanted to get visas to flee the strife-torn place. However, it was not easy for them to get visas. Singh’s creation based on this theme was aptly named Visa.
Then, there is Mr Baton, a painting about a man in Mali whom he saw asking for a cigarette from locals. “In Mali, when somebody asks you for a cigarette, he would normally say, ‘do you have a baton?’ Do you have a piece of wood?’ They don’t say ‘do you have a cigarette?’,” the painter recalled.
Showing another painting, Singh said the person seen on the canvas told him many stories during a conversation. “In the end, he said he was an ‘unknown son.’ The African boy wore a shirt with stripes, which has a meaning in history. Remember, Picasso always wore stripes.”
Recounting his days in Africa, Singh said he maintained several travel diaries. Often, he would find locals - particularly children - sitting next to him, observing him paint on a street like they were watching a movie.
“I drew every day in Mali. People would come to see your work even when it was very hot. As they wanted to be the subject of the drawings, they would also invite you to paint in their homes,” he said.
Singh has lived in 12 countries in Africa and worked there for 10 years. He has also spent a lot of time in South America. At present, he is living in Mexico. “My aim is to create strong figures that people do not forget, it’s about humanity,” he said.
Singh has published several books on his works in different countries, spending most of his time in artistic residencies and cultural centres. He has also been invited by some countries to develop a new work there.
The artist never says no. Whenever somebody has a proposition, Singh immediately says “yes”. “I am always curious of what is going to happen.” He likes music, too, and has played with rock bands in south London.
Born to an Indian father and a French mother, Singh started to draw when he was 17 years old. He spent his childhood travelling between the south of France and London. His passion for painting dates back to 1980 during a riot involving some Jamaicans. And there has been no looking back since then. “So many people are curious about my work as I’m not black,” he said.
Asked why he does not paint Europeans or Americans, Singh says he identifies himself with Africans. “I’m a big supporter of black music. It can tell you a lot about the lives of African people. I like the lyrics and the sound,” said the artist, adding that he tries to be a good painter as well as a musician.
About his mission in life, Singh stressed that he should stay “awake” as his subject is humanity. “We should not waste time. You have to do it rightaway,” the painter said. He also wants to paint on the streets of cities in Asian countries such as the Philippines and China.
