Charanjit Singh - Six Turbans In Search Of An Author

Description:* I have always been fascinated by the transformation of the two dimensional muslin material of a turban, into a sculptured three dimensional object. Every Sikh ties his or her turban slightly differently, the folded layers of fabric and the final shape, give an easy clue of how the turban was tied. And for those with a keener eye, the character of the person. I suppose, a playful Sikh translation of Pirandello’s play could be: Six Turbans in Search of an Author. The historical engine of my work relates to how the turban transforms the character of the person.

I was born into an Orthodox Sikh family, in Bristol. I graduated with a degree in Physics from Manchester University, and then taught Physics for a number of years. In the early 80s, I studied Punjabi at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and this experience is reflected in some of my work. In 2008 I studied at Wimbledon College of Art, leaving in 2010 with a Master’s Degree in the Visual Language of Performance.

My practice involves the turban, as a religious and cultural symbol, and the criteria which determine the liminal space between when a turban is a turban, and when it ceases to be one. I have expressed these ideas in a number of different mediums which include performance, poetry, and photography.