Mehar Singh

Mehar Singh (1 October 1929 – 26 August 2020), also spelt as Meher Singh, was a Sikh artist. He served as the president of the Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi. He focused on portraiture. He painted many works depicting scenes and figures from Sikh history. He also made portraits of artists, poets, film personalities, and politicians. A master of Indian realism, Mehar Singh was a disciple of Sobha Singh. He was honoured by the All-India Fine Arts and Crafts Society and the Punjab Lalit Kala Academy. In 2001, he received the Sardar Sobha Singh memorial award. He was a painter of the Yakhartha style whose subject matter of art was mostly portraiture, landscape, and Sikh history. He did not believe in abstract art. He was influenced by Sobha Singh but also Europeans and Americans, such as Rembrandt, Raphael Andrew Loomis, Howard Pyle, and Norman Rockwell.

Collection Some of his works depicting famous personalities are kept in the collection of the Portrait Gallery at Punjab Kala Bhawan, Sector 16 B, Chandigarh.

Positions held

President of Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi (two consecutive terms) Vice Chairperson of Punjab Kala Prishad

Awards

Sobha Suingh Memorial Award (by the Punjab Government) – 2001 Punjab Kala Rattan (by Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi) AIFACS award YMCA award