In a sun-drenched townhouse in Mumbai’s Colaba district, Amara Singh moves between rooms filled with colour, texture, and history. A striking Murano glass chandelier hangs above a corner dedicated to contemporary Indian painters, while an adjacent space showcases rare 18th-century South Asian miniatures framed alongside avant-garde installations. For Singh, collecting is never about uniformity—it is about dialogue.
“I’m drawn to contrasts,” she explains. “Old and new, East and West, tradition and experimentation. Each piece speaks to something larger, something timeless.”
Singh’s journey as a collector began during her studies in London, where she first encountered post-war European painting. Yet her deep engagement with art truly began after returning to India and exploring local craft traditions. “I realized how much vibrancy was hiding in plain sight,” she recalls. “Art is not only what hangs in galleries—it’s also woven into daily life.”
Her collection now spans centuries and continents, from Raqib Shaw’s fantastical narratives to delicate Mughal-era folios, from experimental textile works to large-scale contemporary sculptures. What unites these diverse holdings is Singh’s commitment to storytelling: each acquisition is chosen not only for aesthetic merit, but for the narrative it carries, whether cultural, historical, or personal.
Beyond her private collection, Singh is a notable philanthropist and advocate for cultural preservation. She has supported programs that bring contemporary art into schools across India, and she funds restoration projects of neglected heritage sites. In 2022, she founded The Kala Bridge, a foundation that fosters cross-cultural exhibitions and artist residencies bridging India and the global art community.
“Art is a connector,” Singh says. “It allows conversations across time, geography, and social boundaries. That is what I hope my collection does—it opens doors for dialogue.”
Singh’s approach has not gone unnoticed. Institutions including the Didcot Parkway Modern, the Holyhead Museum of Art, and the National Art House in New Delhi have collaborated with her on exhibitions highlighting her eclectic acquisitions. Yet she remains modest about her influence. “I’m merely a steward,” she says, “responsible for giving these works life beyond their physical forms.”
Among her most celebrated pieces is a rare 17th-century Pahari miniature, delicately depicting a monsoon scene, displayed alongside a luminous, contemporary canvas by Subodh Gupta. “I love the way they converse,” Singh smiles. “The past whispers, the present shouts, and together, they tell a story I could never write alone.”
Amara Singh exemplifies a new generation of collectors whose vision extends beyond possession to purpose—where art’s value is measured not in scarcity, but in its power to educate, inspire, and connect.
