The Singh Twins on challenging conventions through art

Two women stand before their turquoise-toned artworks, dressed identically, right down to the smallest detail. For British contemporary artists Amrit and Rabindra Kaur Singh, 60, this is neither coincidence nor a playful expression of sisterhood. Collectively known as The Singh Twins, they have made their twinship an artistic and political statement, challenging an art world that places individuality and self-expression on a pedestal.

How did The Singh Twins - Amrit Kaur and Rabindra Kaur turned their twinship into art?

Born and raised in England, their journey into art was accidental. Science students, they initially intended to keep art as a hobby. “We were asked to pick three subjects in college and the only one fitting with our science choices was contemporary western art. We took it up as a ‘light’ subject,” they laugh. Medicine eventually gave way to art, while working together came naturally as an extension of their “twin-ness”.

A trip to India in 1980 proved transformative. It wasn't the Taj Mahal but the intricate Mughal miniature paintings that captured their imagination. “Beyond detail and technical skill, it was a style whose rich narrative and symbolic character made it a superb medium of communication. But we were disappointed that the genre did not find a place in Indian contemporary art,” they recall.

That encounter shaped their artistic vocabulary. Drawing on miniature painting, their compositions are rich in decorative detail, layered symbolism and visual storytelling. They describe their approach as ‘Past-modern’ rather than Post-modern, using history to examine its continuing relevance.

Their choice of aesthetic, however, initially invited criticism. Their work was dismissed as “backward” and “outdated” for drawing inspiration from Indian miniature painting. “Pressure was put on us to look instead to the ‘Fathers of European Modern Art’ for inspiration,” they say. Rather than conform, the sisters turned their artistic language into a rebellion against the Eurocentric assumptions of the global art world.

Their resistance extends to their identity. When tutors expected them to develop separate artistic styles, the sisters refused to manufacture differences. “They didn't understand that we were not copying each other but just happened to be very similar,” they recall. Instead, they embraced the idea of being ‘Twindividuals’. “Our twinness is what made us different.” Even their identical dressing challenges the insistence on individual expression. “If contemporary art is about self expression, then we should be allowed to express ourselves as twins,” they say.

Their shared identity informs their creative process, which involves extensive research, conversations and occasional wrangling before they divide the painting elements between themselves. Once entirely hand-painted, their works have evolved into mixed media compositions combining archival material, digital details and hand-painted elements. “Collectors don’t buy oil on canvas but what the artist stands for. Mixed media is as rigorous as hand painted works,” they insist.

The miniature influence is evident in their use of exaggerated scale, flattened perspective and elaborate borders that function as narrative devices rather than decoration. Their current series of three works, on display at Art Alive Gallery in Delhi, traces India's journey before, during and after imperial rule. A woman personifies pre-colonial India's beauty and bounty, while a stripped-gold border in the middle work symbolises colonial exploitation. Even familiar imagery such as the Three Graces is reimagined to represent poverty.

Their influences extend beyond Sikh miniature painting and Indian calendar art to the Pre-Raphaelites, Art Nouveau, European Renaissance and satirical artists William Blake and James Gillray.

Despite growing acceptance over the past decade, the Twins continue to encounter attempts to categorise their work as ethnic or niche. They recall being advised to “try the ethnic art gallery in town” when approaching galleries for commissions. Their response is firm: “We refuse shows that want to pigeon hole us as Sikh or ethnic artists.” They identify themselves as contemporary British artists, unwilling to let their Indian heritage become a limitation. Now based in Liverpool, the sisters are also writers, filmmakers and designers. They are currently researching the history of Sikhs in Canada for a new gallery dedicated to Sikh art.

Their works feature in 'A Moment in the Monumental', a group exhibition at Art Alive Gallery, Panchsheel Park, Delhi. The exhibition is on view till November 25.

This article is written by Samiya Chopra

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