Amar Singh (art dealer)

Last updated

Amar Singh
Born
Kanwar Amar Jit Singh

(1989-06-14) 14 June 1989 (age 34)
London, England, UK
Education St John's Beaumont School
Charterhouse School
Licensed Victuallers' School
Known forArt and NFT dealer, women's rights and LGBTQ+ activist, and film producer

Kanwar Amar Jit Singh (born 14 June 1989) is a British art and non-fungible token (NFT) dealer, women's rights and LGBTQ+ activist, and film producer. [1] [2] Singh is a member of the erstwhile Kapurthala royal family through his direct lineage to Raja Nihal Singh. [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

In addition to art dealing, Singh later included NFTs (digital art) into his dealing. [7] Throughout his career, Singh has emphasised underrepresented female, LGBTQ+ and minority artists. [3]

Education

Singh was educated at St John's Beaumont School, Charterhouse School. [8]

Career

On 20 January 2017, Singh opened the Amar Gallery in London located close to the Central Saint Martins campus in North London. [6] [9] The gallery's inaugural exhibition was 'LINKS', by Howard Tangye, an artist who was the fashion illustration tutor and former head of womenswear at Central Saint Martins. [9] [10] [11] [6] The physical gallery space located between King's Cross and Islington, was closed in April 2019. In the two years the gallery space was open to the public, the Amar Gallery exhibited the work of female artists and feminists including the Guerrilla Girls, Helen Frankenthaler & Grace Hartigan [4] [12] [9] [13] The Amar Gallery also mounted LGBT+ exhibitions including 'LINKS' by Tangye and 'Section 377', an online exhibition about the road to legalise homosexuality in India. [1] After the closure of the physical Amar Gallery space featuring traditional art, Singh moved to virtual art and NFTs. [14] [15] [16] [7] In June 2021, Singh partnered with Givenchy and VeVe to raise $128,000 for LGBT+ youth movement Le MAG Jeunes LGBT+, by collaborating with artists Rewind Collective and selling the first NFT created for a beauty brand. [17] [18] [19]

In 2019, Singh had stated his next venture, set to open October 2019, was Curated Golden Square, described as a "$100 million, 30,000 square foot apartment hotel". [20] [12] In a 2021 follow up interview with Vanity Fair, Singh claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic was the reason the venture did not move forward. [3]

In March 2021, SABO Art and Amar Singh Gallery launched an art exhibition to celebrate women and Women's History Month in Lagos, Nigeria. [21]

In 2021 [3] [22] Singh pledged to donate $5 million worth of art by female, LGBTQ and minority artists to museums worldwide. [23] To date Singh or his gallery have donated works of art to museums including LACMA, [24] [25] [26] Harvard, [27] [28] National Portait Gallery, London, [29] [30] the Crocker Museum, [31] the Studio Museum, [32] Stedelijk Museum. [33] and the New Orleans Museum of Art. [34] Works of art have also been donated in Singh's honour or courtesy of Singh's gallery to the Whitney Museum, [35] ICA Miami. [36] and Smithsonian. [37] In 2022, he also pledged to donate $1 million to international women's rights non-profit Vital Voices, [38] where he was a member of the solidarity council, [39] until October 2023. [40]

Activism

Since 2020, Singh has been working with Manvendra Singh Gohil, Ankita Surabhi, and human rights lawyer Ravi Kant who worked on the honor killing case Shakti Vahini vs Union of India (2018), on an Indian Supreme Court case to nationally and comprehensively make conversion therapy illegal in India. [41] [42] [43] At present, the precedent set by Madras High Court's S Sushma v. Commissioner of Police (2021) , prohibited conversion therapy in India, forced the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to provide 'shelter homes' for LGBTQ protection, and suggested that the government create education programs 'to sensitize police and prison authorities, district and state legal service authorities, health professionals, educational institutions, and most importantly, parents of LGBTQIA+ members'. [44] However, the only protection against conversion therapy is limited to the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, prohibiting medical discrimination against patients on the basis of gender and sexual orientation, limiting liability to state and mental health professionals, but not prohibiting the community or parents from enacting conversion therapy on members of LGBTQIA+ members. [44]

In July 2019, Singh spoke at the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute's Annual Future Leaders Conference, held at the Russell Senate Office Building, about women's rights and how communities are impacted through art and culture. [3] [45]

Singh has been critical of a lack of LGBT rights in Brunei, branding the country's laws punishing homosexuality with death by stoning as 'disgraceful'. [3] [12]

Personal life

Through his father, Singh is a great-great-great-great-grandson of Raja Nihal Singh of Kapurthala. [8] [46]

A 2017 Los Angeles Blade article reported that Indian politician Vishvjit Singh was Singh's uncle; [2] Vishvjit instead was Singh's first cousin once removed. [8] Although as stated in The Hindu newspaper it is customary in India to refer to elder relatives or elders in general as Uncle and Aunt. [47]

In 2018, The Independent claimed that Singh, who is heterosexual, was "driven out of India" at the age of 20, after he spoke out in support of gay rights. [48]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles County Museum of Art</span> Art museum in California, United States

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits.

Homosexuality in India is legally permitted and tolerated by the most of the traditional native philosophies of the nation, and legal rights continue to be advanced in mainstream politics and regional politics. Homosexual cohabitation is also legally permitted and comes with some legal protections and rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in the United Kingdom</span>

The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have developed significantly over time. Today, lesbian, gay, and bisexual rights are considered to be advanced by international standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manvendra Singh Gohil</span> Hereditary Prince of Rajpipla

Manvendra Singh Gohil is an Indian prince, being the son and probable heir of the honorary Maharaja of Rajpipla. He is considered to be the first openly gay prince in the world, and he is known for being one of India's foremost LGBT activists. He runs a charity, the Lakshya Trust, which works with the LGBT community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in India</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in India have expanded in the 21st century, though much of India's advancements on LGBT rights have come from the judiciary and not the legislature. Indian LGBT citizens still face social and legal difficulties not experienced by non-LGBT people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Michigan</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Michigan enjoy the same rights as non-LGBT people. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Michigan under the US Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas, although the state legislature has not repealed its sodomy law. Same-sex marriage is legal. Discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity is unlawful since July 2022, was re-affirmed by the Michigan Supreme Court - under and by a 1976 statewide law, that explicitly bans discrimination "on the basis of sex". The Michigan Civil Rights Commission have also ensured that members of the LGBT community are not discriminated against and are protected in the eyes of the law since 2018 and also legally upheld by the Michigan Supreme Court in 2022. In March 2023, a bill passed the Michigan Legislature by a majority vote - to formally codify both "sexual orientation and gender identity" anti-discrimination protections embedded within Michigan legislation. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the bill on March 16, 2023. In 2024, Michigan repealed “the last ban on commercial surrogacy within the US” - for individuals and couples and reformed the parentage laws, that acknowledges same sex couples and their families with children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Ohio</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Ohio have most of the rights non-LGBT residents have. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Ohio since 1974, and same-sex marriage has been legally recognized since June 2015 as a result of Obergefell v. Hodges. Ohio statutes do not address discrimination on account of sexual orientation and gender identity; however, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBT people is illegal in 2020. In addition, a number of Ohio cities have passed anti-discrimination ordinances providing protections in housing and public accommodations. Conversion therapy is also banned in a number of cities. In December 2020, a federal judge invalidated a law banning sex changes on an individual's birth certificate within Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in West Virginia</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of West Virginia face legal challenges not faced by non-LGBT persons. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1976, and same-sex marriage has been recognized since October 2014. West Virginia statutes do not address discrimination on account of sexual orientation or gender identity; however, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBT people is illegal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Minnesota</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Minnesota have the same rights and responsibilities as non-LGBT people. Minnesota became the first U.S. state to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in 1993, protecting LGBT people from discrimination in the fields of employment, housing, and public accommodations. In 2013, the state legalized same-sex marriage, after a bill allowing such marriages was passed by the Minnesota Legislature and subsequently signed into law by Governor Mark Dayton. This followed a 2012 ballot measure in which voters rejected constitutionally banning same-sex marriage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in New Jersey</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in New Jersey have the same legal rights as non-LGBT people. LGBT persons in New Jersey enjoy strong protections from discrimination, and have had the right to marry since October 21, 2013.

<i>Raaz Pichhle Janam Ka</i> Indian TV series or programme

Raaz Pichhle Janm Ka is an Indian reality television series created by Supavitra Babul, based around the technique of past life regression. The NDTV Imagine show is hosted by actor Ravi Kishan, while the past life regression sessions are conducted by a Mumbai-based psychologist Trupti Jayin. The first season started on 7 December 2009 and 15 January 2010, while the second season started on 23 October 2010, with actor Chunky Panday as guest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Florida</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Florida have federal protections, but many face legal difficulties on the state level that are not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity became legal in the state after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Lawrence v. Texas on June 26, 2003, although the state legislature has not repealed its sodomy law. Same-sex marriage has been legal in the state since January 6, 2015. Discrimination on account of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations is outlawed following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County. In addition, several cities and counties, comprising about 55 percent of Florida's population, have enacted anti-discrimination ordinances. These include Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee and West Palm Beach, among others. Conversion therapy is also banned in a number of cities in the state, mainly in the Miami metropolitan area, but has been struck down by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. In September 2023, Lake Worth Beach, Florida became an official "LGBT sanctuary city" to protect and defend LGBT rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in New York</span>

The U.S. state of New York has generally been seen as socially liberal in regard to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights. LGBT travel guide Queer in the World states, "The fabulosity of Gay New York is unrivaled on Earth, and queer culture seeps into every corner of its five boroughs". The advocacy movement for LGBT rights in the state has been dated as far back as 1969 during the Stonewall riots in New York City. Same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults has been legal since the New York v. Onofre case in 1980. Same-sex marriage has been legal statewide since 2011, with some cities recognizing domestic partnerships between same-sex couples since 1998. Discrimination protections in credit, housing, employment, education, and public accommodation have explicitly included sexual orientation since 2003 and gender identity or expression since 2019. Transgender people in the state legally do not have to undergo sex reassignment surgery to change their sex or gender on official documents since 2014. In addition, both conversion therapy on minors and the gay and trans panic defense have been banned since 2019. Since 2021, commercial surrogacy has been legally available within New York State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Colorado</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Colorado enjoy the same rights as non-LGBT people. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Colorado since 1972. Same-sex marriage has been recognized since October 2014, and the state enacted civil unions in 2013, which provide some of the rights and benefits of marriage. State law also prohibits discrimination on account of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations and the use of conversion therapy on minors. In July 2020, Colorado became the 11th US state to abolish the gay panic defense.

Queer Azaadi Mumbai Pride March, also called Queer Azaadi March and Mumbai pride march, is an annual LGBTQIA pride parade that is held in the city of Mumbai, capital of Maharashtra, India. It usually begins from Gowalia Tank ending at Girgaum Chowpatty. It, along with the Pride Week, is organized by Queer Azaadi Mumbai, a collective of organizations and individuals working for the rights of LGBTQIA community. The participants of the march include people from the LGBTQIH community as well their "straight allies", from India and outside. In addition to being a celebration of queer pride, the pride march and related events are a platform to ask for equal rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange City LGBT Pride March</span> Annual LGBT Pride event in Nagpur, India

Orange City LGBT Pride March or Nagpur Pride Parade is the pride march organised annually in Nagpur, Maharashtra. It was started in the year 2016. It is a festival to honour and celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people and their supporters.

LGBT Pride marches have been held in the Indian state of Gujarat in various cities since 2013. The first LGBT pride march was held in Surat on 6 October 2013. Since then, pride march in the state has been held in Ahmedabad and Vadodara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legality of conversion therapy</span> Legality of sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts

Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. As of December 2023, twenty-seven countries have bans on conversion therapy, thirteen of them ban the practice by any person: Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Malta, New Zealand, Spain, Portugal and Norway; Seven ban its practice by medical professionals only; Albania, Brazil, Chile, India, Israel, Vietnam and Taiwan; another seven: Argentina, Fiji, Nauru, Paraguay, Samoa, Switzerland, and Uruguay have indirect bans in that diagnoses based solely on sexual orientation or gender identity are banned without specifically banning conversion therapy, this effectively amounts to a ban on health professionals since they would not generally engage in therapy without a diagnosis. In addition, some jurisdictions within Australia, Mexico and the United States also ban conversion therapy. In China and South Africa case law has found conversion therapy to be unlawful. Bills banning conversion therapy are being considered in Ireland, Mexico, Poland, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Ravi Kant is an Indian Supreme Court advocate and president of the anti-trafficking non-governmental organization Shakti Vahini, named after the Hindu mother goddess who fought injustice.

References

  1. 1 2 Bullock, Andrew (10 August 2020). "Amar Singh: "I don't know why we have to fight so hard for equal rights!"". Gay Times . Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  2. 1 2 Ocamb, Karen (30 November 2017). "Indian Royal Amar Singh on a mission for equality". Los Angeles Blade. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bullock, Andrew (9 February 2021). "The Art of Amar Singh's Activism". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  4. 1 2 Hawgood, Alex (3 October 2017). "The Indian Prince Who Supports Gay Rights and the Arts (Published 2017)". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  5. ↑ Jeremy Kinser (17 March 2019). "Is This Star-Studded LACMA Party the Art World's American Idol?". Town & Country . Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Chaundy, Bob (25 January 2017). "Howard Tangye - Amar Gallery". HuffPost . Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Billion Dollar Boom: NFT Rainmakers". Vanity Fair . 15 February 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Kapurthala". sikh heritage. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 updated, Elly Parsons last (23 January 2017). "Fine lines: Howard Tangye inaugurates Amar Gallery with his revealing sketches". wallpaper.com. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  10. ↑ Woodcock, Victoria (12 September 2021). "The hidden figures of Howard Tangye". Financial Times. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  11. ↑ "Howard Tangye: Links | Howard Tangye". howardtangye.com. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 Bullock, Andrew (19 June 2019). "Amar Singh's Curated Quest for Equality". Vanity Fair . Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  13. ↑ Baker, Sam (29 June 2019). "The (Male) Art Entrepreneur Exhibiting Female Artists". Forbes . Archived from the original on 30 June 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  14. ↑ "I Am Not A Goddess... Unless I Say I Am". www.saboartadvisory.com. Retrieved 29 October 2023.[ dead link ]
  15. ↑ "Missing In Action - Online Exhibition". Guerrilla Girls. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  16. ↑ "Exhibitions". Amar Singh Gallery. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  17. ↑ "Givenchy Beauty - Official site | Fragrance, make-up and skincare".
  18. ↑ Weil, Jennifer (22 June 2021). "Givenchy Parfums Creates NFT Artwork to Profit LGBTQ Cause".
  19. ↑ "The Rise and Rise of NFT Artworks". Vanity Fair . 27 July 2021.
  20. ↑ Baker, Sam (29 June 2019). "The (Male) Art Entrepreneur Exhibiting Female Artists". Forbes . Archived from the original on 30 June 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  21. ↑ Ekow Barnes. "The Culture List: Four Exciting Art Installations Celebrating Womanhood". Ebony . Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  22. ↑ Gerlis, Melanie (4 February 2021). "A tale of Churchill, Roosevelt — and Angelina Jolie". Financial Times.
  23. ↑ Ramani, Reshma (25 November 2022). "NFT Art Pioneer's Ambitious Push for Change". Esquire . Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  24. ↑ "Serenade (Lessons of the Hour) | LACMA Collections". collections.lacma.org. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  25. ↑ "Crowned Solitudes | LACMA Collections". collections.lacma.org. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  26. ↑ "The Signing | LACMA Collections". collections.lacma.org. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  27. ↑ Cascone, Sarah (28 January 2021). "A Painting of Amanda Gorman, the Young Poet Who Performed at Joe Biden's Inauguration, Is Now Part of Harvard's Collection". Artnet News. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  28. ↑ "Open Wide the Freedom Gates". coopergallery.fas.harvard.edu. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  29. ↑ "Richard Nicoll - National Portrait Gallery". www.npg.org.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  30. ↑ "Richard Nicoll - National Portrait Gallery". www.npg.org.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  31. ↑ "Hopes Springing High at the Crocker". Crocker Art Museum. 19 January 2018. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  32. ↑ "Mosie Romney". Studio Museum in Harlem. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  33. ↑ ""Green Lace" (2022) by Angela Heisch acquired by the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam". GRIMM. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  34. ↑ "Free Huey". New Orleans Museum of Art. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  35. ↑ "Rick Lowe | Project Row Houses: If Artists Are Creative Why Can't They Create Solutions". whitney.org. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  36. ↑ "Contending with Contingency IX". Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  37. ↑ Institution, Smithsonian. "Constellations II SE". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  38. ↑ "REMEMBER US XXI (NFT ARTWORK) EXHIBIT, POWERED BY AMAR SINGH". Vital Voices. 5 May 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  39. ↑ "Amar Singh". Vital Voices . Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  40. ↑ "Vital Voices Solidarity Council". Vital Voices . Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  41. ↑ Bullock, Andrew. "Royal Rebels: Amar Singh and Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil". Vanity Fair . Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  42. ↑ "SHAKTI VAHINI v. UNION OF INDIA [(2018) 7 SCC 192], (Honour killing is a crime, making a person to marry other than his own choice is violation of Article 21) - Legal Vidhiya". 7 April 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  43. ↑ "Will file a petition urging the Supreme Court to declare conversion therapy as illegal in India: Manvendra Singh Gohil". The Times of India. 12 August 2023. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  44. 1 2 "India's High Court Bans Conversion Therapy: A Much Needed Law". www.jurist.org. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  45. ↑ "CHLI Conference Connects Future Leaders to the Real World". Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute . 3 July 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  46. ↑ Sternlicht, Alexandra (13 May 2021). "Why This 31-Year-Old Gallerist Is Partnering With Christie's To Auction NFTs". Forbes .
  47. ↑ "'Hello Uncle! Hello Aunty!'". The Hindu. 8 November 2014. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  48. ↑ Oppenheim, Maya (10 February 2018). "India's only openly gay prince is turning his pink palace into a centre for vulnerable LGBT+ people". The Independent . Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.