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Category: Uncategorized
The photographs of Shobha Deepak Singh – David Hume Kennerly, Pulitzer Prize winning photographer
I was fortunate to meet Shobha Deepak Singh and to see her pictures on a recent trip to India. Her work takes you directly to the heart of dance, and reveals the beauty and poetry of the performers as they execute their art. Her photos are a window into the world of dance, and they
The Photographs of Shobha Deepak Singh
A photograph is not merely a factual record of outward appearances. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, the camera can provide revealing insights into situation and character, and the subtle interplay in human relationships. The theatre is a fugitive and an ephemeral art. The dramatic performance disappears into thin air after its brief two-and-a-half
Kapila Vatsyayan
I was very touched when dear Shobha Deepak Singh asked me to write something on the occasion of the publication of her book on photographs of dance. I wondered ‘why me?’ I did not ask her that question because there was no question of asking her this question. Why? My mind went back to Shobha’s
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About Shobha
Shobha Deepak Singh was born in October 1943; had her schooling at Modern School and graduated from Delhi University in 1963 (Eco Hons).
She joined DCM as a Management Trainee in 1964 and was involved in marketing and advertising of the company’s leading product lines .She was married in 1967.
She joined Bhartiya Kala Kendra in 1968 and was the first Manager of Kamani Auditorium. Shobha went on to specialise in designing of costumes and ornaments- a field in which she become a trailblazer. Later on, she took over the task of script writing and directing of the Kendra’s ballets. During the past four decades she has for over thirty ballets/dance dramas of the Kendra.
During this period, in 1977, she also completed her degree in “Bachelor of Performing Arts”. She received her diploma in theatre direction in 1996.
In 1992, she joined the Direction Course of Living Theatre under the tutelage of Mar. E. Alkazi During this tenure, she was responsible for the music of several plays. She was Assistant Director to Mr Alkazi, for four of his eight lays.
Shobha has a natural flair for photography and has actually been shooting for four decades.
She has had several solo photography shows.
Her Photographs have been used extensively in leading newspapers and magazines.
Many a time , her images have been used to make a book.
Analogue photography is her forte.
She is self taught, never used a flash and has a bank of 300000 negatives.
Her mentor is E Alkazi and she believes that she would like to capture movement in dance and emotion in theatre. -
Endorsment
Congratulations. Very well done both the book and the exhibition.– Avinash PasrichaGreat to cover the entire dance scene of the contemporary and past in India.– Suresh NeotiaWhat a historic tour-de-force of the dance scene in India. Stunning photos.– Sanjoy RoyWonderful exhibition.– John IsaacExquisite moments of incredible beauty captured.– Kusum HyderEvocative image imagary. Creating emotion out of the ‘moment that just went by.– Shekhar KapurGreat images and the way dance has been captured is impessive.– Shobhana BharatiyaInspiring!– Naseerudin ShahYou have captures the artist in then most telling moment it is the rare gift of a genius – a very good exhibition– Uma AnandShobha’s photographs always captures that invisible theatrical moment which lies between the word and the image – which for we constitutes the ‘magic’ of theatre– Amal AllanaWonderful – Shobha you excel in whatever you do– Amjad Ali KhanIts great to see good photography Congratulations!– Ram RahmanA difficult subject to tackle. Very well handled ad executed. Well Done!– Madan MahattaI can’t call them photographs it shows how gifted talent like you fill beautiful colours in our world.– Shekhar SenLovely Photos! You seem to really capture the essence and decisive movement of the dance in your photos.– Karoki Lewis (Photographer)To capture an ineffable emotion; to freeze a fleeting emotion; to still a moment of of remembered emotion-you have done all this. Riveting stuff.– Romi ChopraMulti faceted Shobha.Yet another dimesion of your talent.– Lekha PoddarWhat a pleasure. Wish there was more to see.– Rupika ChawlaAnother aspect of your excellent versatility.– OP JainIt’s a great day of happiness for me as a mother to see the work of her talented daughter.– Sumitra Charat RamFabulous work Shobha.– Radhika GoswamiShobha has taken a lot of photographs of my performances on stage which are best photographs till now.– Manohar Singh -
Solo Shows
• Women in Performing Arts India Habitat Centre• Images From Living Theatre-Shridharani Art Gallery 1996• Dance and Music Exhibition Art Heritage 2004• National Centre for Perming Arts-Piramal Gallery• Nehru Centre London• Visual Arts Gallery• United Art Summit -
The photographs of Shobha Deepak Singh – David Hume Kennerly, Pulitzer Prize winning photographer
I was fortunate to meet Shobha Deepak Singh and to see her pictures on a recent trip to India. Her work takes you directly to the heart of dance, and reveals the beauty and poetry of the performers as they execute their art. Her photos are a window into the world of dance, and they
The Photographs of Shobha Deepak Singh
A photograph is not merely a factual record of outward appearances. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, the camera can provide revealing insights into situation and character, and the subtle interplay in human relationships. The theatre is a fugitive and an ephemeral art. The dramatic performance disappears into thin air after its brief two-and-a-half
Kapila Vatsyayan
I was very touched when dear Shobha Deepak Singh asked me to write something on the occasion of the publication of her book on photographs of dance. I wondered ‘why me?’ I did not ask her that question because there was no question of asking her this question. Why? My mind went back to Shobha’s
My romance with photography
..As for photography, I don’t know the first thing about it. As I set about launching my first book on photographs of dance and the exhibition; this quote by Henri Cartier Bresson sums up exactly how I feel- knowing little of photography but possessing a fortitude to achieve. What write is to qualify that I
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Contact
Shobha Deepak Singh
1 Copernicus Marg,
New Delhi – 110 001Tel: 23387132, 23386428 / 29
Fax : 23387132E-mail: sbkk@thekendra.com
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