Saffron Surrender

Rajinder Singh (b.1964) works from his studios in Dublin and London. His paintings, installations, photography, video and performance works explore ideas around the vulnerable body and its pain, interrogating the economies of power that deny it space and shape. Often focused on the power of ritual action in the construction of the social body, his practice explores the ways the human body unfolds around various topographic and symbolic borders. Rajinder displayed intrigue with the gestures, movements, and rhythms of ritual practices in South Asia, as well as the scarred fragmented bodies and healing, embracing unities they produced.

With a doctorate in engineering and a master’s in fine arts, he was recently shortlisted for both the prestigious Golden Fleece Award and EVA International Biennale 2022. He was earlier part of Tulca Festival of Arts in 2020 as well as Tulca 2019 and is the recipient of several awards for his sculptures and movement-based work. His sculptures were shown as part of the year-long exhibition ‘Narrow Gate’ at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) in 2021/22.

Recipient of substantial bursaries from the Arts Council of Ireland for his body-based movement oriented work, Rajinder has been commissioned for new work by various museums and art festivals in Ireland. He is a guest artist/choreographer at the Irish World Academy, Maynooth University, University College Dublin. His work is part of the national arts collections in both IMMA and the Arts Council of Ireland. Rajinder is also founder of the contemporary art review magazine Drenched Reviews.