Brahmin Shankaracharya, Kangra, Late 18th Century, 20 x 14 cm

An art of sublime themes, colourful backgrounds and subtle emotions, Indian miniatures have a lyrical quality that captures the mind and soul. Using a wide range of vocabulary of symbols and characters, the Indian miniaturists created delicate paintings that served both important religious and secular functions.

Often executed as illustrations of texts, portraits and simple genre scenes, these miniatures are masterpieces in their own right and are as much a part of traditional Indian art as the large murals in the Indian palaces. Small in size but meticulous in detail and delicate in brushwork, Indian miniature paintings are to be savoured slowly, intently and privately.

Ravan retreating to his palace, Ramayana Series, Pahari, early 19th century, 30 x 21 cm

The exhibition at Galerie Belvedere presents the private collection of 16th to 19th century Indian miniature paintings of Mr Fozdar. He is the son of famed women’s rights activist Shirin Fozdar, who founded the Singapore Council of Women in 1952. Her advocacy let to the establishment of the Syariah Court in 1958 and the Women’s Charter in 1961. The Mumbai-born American citizen is a Singapore permanent resident who has lived here since 1987.

The miniatures – some of which were painted with colour pigments made of crushed rubies, emeralds, pearls and gold – were amassed by Jamshed K. Fozdar over 4-5 decades.

The featured works depict scenes from Indian history and mythology. There are also portraits of Indian royalty and courtesans.The collection includes paintings from three categories: the Moghul court paintings, the Rajasthan paintings from the regions of Mewar, Jaipur and Kishangar, and the Pahari paintings from the hill courts of Punjab such as Basholi, Guler and Kangra.

Exhibition: The Fozdar Collection
Dates: 10 October – 1 November 2014
Venue: Galerie Belvedere, 140 Hill Street, Old Hill Street Police Station
#01-10/11/12, Singapore 179369
Info: www.galerie-belvedere.com