What is the value of Arts?

In the history of man, extensive use has been made for dissemination of the local cultures, history and religion through their Arts. This goes back from prehistoric times and ancient cultures of the Zoroastrians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Europeans, Buddhists, Jains, Hindus, Islamic and Chinese cultures. Until recently the Arts of the Sikhs has been confused as either Hindu and or Islamic Arts. It is only in the last decade that Arts of the Sikhs has emerged as distinct with unique characteristics of its own. Today the arts of the Sikhs have been widely acknowledged and almost fifteen books have been devoted to its publication. These publications continuously bring to light the unique cultural, historic and religious features of the Sikhs. In the last five centuries, this also brings to a sharp focus on the unique aspects of the religion of the Sikhs.

Evolution of Sikh Arts!

The California based Sikh Foundation (a non-profit entity established in 1967) sponsored an international touring exhibit ‘The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms’. This major exhibit began as a dream in 1992 when the Sikh Foundation organized its 25th anniversary with an exhibition and a conference, 'Splendors of the Punjab, Sikh Art and Literature', in collaboration with the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco and University of California Berkeley. This small exhibition of works from local Sikh collectors was clearly the tip of the iceberg. However, the Asian Art Museum knew it did not have the resources to research and assemble a major exhibition from collections all over the world. So Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany, chairman of the Sikh Foundation, approached the Victorian & Albert Museum in London, one of the largest museums in the world, to make the dream of an international exhibit of Sikh art a reality. He had the support of the Asian Art Museum and of Susan Stronge, a curator with the V&A who was also a presenter at the 1992 conference.

Within a few years, the communities and collectors in the UK, USA, Pakistan, and India had also risen to the occasion, and helped make a fabulous exhibition possible. Susan Stronge’s dedicated curatorship has brought together breathtaking Sikh arts treasures from around the world. The exhibition started at the V&A museum in London, was brought to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco in association with the Sikh Foundation. The exhibition’s third and final destination became the Royal Ontario Museum of Toronto, Canada. In Toronto, the response of this exhibition was beyond imagination as the Canadian Sikh community was able to provide some unique Art objects which were neither available to the exhibition in London and San Francisco.

How is Sikh Arts growing after the exhibition?

• After the exhibition, Sikh art collectors have grown tremendously in the western world. Apart from acquiring authentic and historic Sikh Art objects. The Sikhs have also become very aware of the Sikh Art. This creates a severe need for talented Sikh Artists. As a result, many Sikh youth are now working towards making a fulltime career in Sikh Art.

• A permanent Sikh Art gallery in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco was established in Year 2003. This permanent Sikh Art exhibit will display over 100 artworks from the Internationally Accredited Kapany Sikh Art Collection.

• Another Sikh Art Gallery will open at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. on the 24th of July, 2004. This gallery will display another 50 Sikh Art objects (both classical and contemporary) from the Kapany Sikh Arts Collection.

  There are strong chances of having similar permanent Sikh Art exhibits in Canada and the U.K.

What can you do to contribute towards the appreciation of Sikh Arts?

We at the Sikh Foundation have been publishing a set of twelve very high quality prints on Sikh Art subjects for the last five consecutive years. The prints depict events from the life of Sikh Gurus and the grandeur of Sikh Maharajas, Maharanis, Nobles and other Sikh dignitaries. This makes a unique collection of 60 hi-quality printed (24x17 inches) posters on Sikh Art.

We would like to invite you to participate in this program by displaying your heritage at your place of work or home through these Sikh Art displays. Treat your guests, visitors, clients, friends and associates to a feast of your own arts. Make a statement with your own Sikh Arts. Can you imagine the positive visibility Sikh Arts in particular and Sikhism in general will earn if a visitor at your office or home saw and appreciated the beautiful Artwork hanging on the wall? We have all learnt from the recent events that how important and imperative it is to tell the non-Sikh world about our heritage and philosophy. At the same time you are passing a sense of pride to your next generation.

Soon we will provide you with any or all of these Sikh Art posters in very elegant and hi-quality frames. Each frame is especially chosen for the respective poster with respect to color contrast and durability. In the framed poster, there will also be a short write-up that describes the scene or character in the painting. The quality of the Art print, the write-ups and the frame is the highest.

See our collection of Sikh Art Prints.