The wit and gravity of The Singh Twins

The first thing you always notice about The Singh Twins, Amrit Kaur Singh and Rabindra Kaur Singh, is the riot of colours in their works, which draw on the collage style of Jahangiri muraqqas (albums). The second is the British miniature artists’ uniform of identical salwar suits. As you step closer to their art, the deep research behind their works reveal themselves.

They use the miniature style not simply as an inherited artistic tradition, but as a means of historical inquiry: layering research, symbolism, personal memory and political critique to question how the histories of the British empire are constructed and remembered. And all of it is done with a blend of wit, mischief and seriousness. “I first saw The Singh Twins’ work in Delhi in 2005 and was really intrigued by it,” says Sunaina Anand, director of Art Alive.

The twins’ work is part of the group exhibition, A Moment in the Monumental, celebrating the gallery’s 25th anniversary. “I planned a trip to Liverpool [a couple of years later to meet them] in their family home.