Modernist painter Arpita Singh, known for her figurative work, dies at 89

9 November 2026

Arpita Singh, a leading modernist painter, died in New Delhi at the age of 89. Her husband, the artist Paramjit Singh, said she had suffered heart and lung problems for some years but was still working. She was known for detailed figurative paintings, usually built around a female figure, that reflected social upheaval and humanitarian crises of her time. The country honoured her twice over: the Padma Bhushan came to her in 2011, and three years later the Lalit Kala Akademi made her a Fellow. The couple's only daughter, the artist Anjum Singh, died in 2020.