River of Colour

The only retrospective of one of the 20th-century's finest documentary photographers.

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Raghubir Singh (1942-1999) was one of the world's finest documentary photographers ever. He was born in Rajasthan, India, and for 30 years made countless personal journeys across the vast subcontinent. He travelled along the Ganges, toured the ghats and alleys of Benares and explored the cosmopolitan cities of Calcutta and Mumbai. The result was a series of vibrant photographs that capture the exuberant spirit and restless activity of his native India.

Like his hero, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Singh always succeeded in getting into the heart of the scene and intuitively portraying it from the insider's point of view. In his engaging and informative introduction to River of Colour, the first ever retrospective of his work, Singh explains what India means to him, focusing in particular on the strong importance of colour in India.

Singh's instinctual affinity with colour is seen again and again in his mesmerizing pictures. Arranged in 11 sections that depict aspects integral to Indian life - such as the street, monuments, icons, water and pilgrimages - Singh's photographs reveal everything from the magical to the mundane, providing a comprehensive picture of the country that remains imprinted in the mind.