5 things you need to know about Chila Kumari Singh Burman

This autumn, the Museum is lit up by Neon Dreams, two installations by Chila Kumari Singh Burman.

Here are 5 key things you need to know about this inspiring artist…

  1. Photo of Chila Kumari Singh Burman who has dark hair and is wearing a yellow jacket
    Photo Mary McCartney

    Since the mid-1980s British artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman has worked across multi-disciplinary art mediums such as printmaking, drawing, painting, installation and film. Burman uses these practices to explore the experiences and aesthetics of Asian femininity, popular culture and high art, and gender and identity politics. Within these mediums, Burman draws upon her own heritage as she incorporates motifs and iconography found in Bollywood and Hindu imagery, creating a fusion of both traditional and modern influences.

  2. Burman was involved in the Black British Art movement in the 1980s as exploring race and the lived experience of ethnic minorities has always been a central theme in Burman’s work. Burman has previously collaborated on various group shows with some of the most important names in Black British Art including Lubaina Himid and Sonia Boyce.
  3. Burman has been awarded multiple accolades for her work in the arts. In 2018, Burman was given an honorary doctorate from the University of the Arts London for her legacy as a British and International artist. Following this, in 2022, Burman was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to visual art, recognising Burman’s contribution and impact on shaping the landscape of contemporary British art.
  4. Family history and personal memories serve as inspiration throughout Burman’s work. This is particularly evident in her sculpture titled My Tiger Janu, which is on display in the Ballroom. Burman’s memory of her dad’s ice cream van (pictured below), adorned with a grand tiger on the roof, stayed with her as a symbol of resilience and cultural identity. My Tiger Janu therefore explores this bold act of asserting your diversity, a common theme within all Burman’s works.
    An old black and white photo showing an ice cream van with a large cut-out tiger on its roof
    Burman’s Ice Cream. Photo courtesy Chila Kumari Singh Burman.
  5. Burman is perhaps best known for lighting up London during lockdown. In 2020, her neon creations adorned the facade of Tate Britain. She said at the time: “It means a lot to be able to bring light into people’s lives in these tough times”.
Neon Dreams: Chila Kumari Singh Burman is on show at the Holburne until 12 January 2025
You can hear Chila in conversation with Louisa Buck on 7 November at 7pm. Find out more and reserve your ticket.

 

The Glowing Canopies by Chila Kumari Singh Burman, installed on the Holburne Museum facade. Photo Anna Barclay.

 

The Holburne Museum