Once upon a time, J.P. Singhal’s artworks graced almost every household in India. It was a simpler era of printed calendars, and Singhal was considered a legend in its practice. His highly realistic style of fine art—defined by its precise and gentle brushstrokes—practically made it a genre of art. As a calendar artist, Singhal drew inspiration from early Indian and Pakistani artists like Raja Ravi Varma and Abdur Rahman Chughtai, and painted more than 2700 works that were reproduced over 800 million times.

 

Over time, Singhal was drawn to the innards of India—particularly the tribal and rural cultures, driven by a need to preserve them for posterity. With a camera in hand, he captured them on film and later transposed the images on to his canvas. Steeped in photorealism, the paintings were often mistaken for photographs. Singhal’s pastoral works exude robustness and a spirit of vitality. From precocious children to dashing young women, our StoryLTD collection brings together a series of his famous rural and tribal Indian paintings, reproduced in limited edition prints brought together by the J. P. Singhal Foundation.