Amar Singh (art dealer)

Kanwar Amar Jit Singh[1] (born 14 June 1989) is a British NFT art dealer and LGBT+ activist.[2][3]

Amar Singh
Born
Kanwar Amar Jit Singh

(1989-06-14) 14 June 1989
London, England, UK
EducationSt John's Beaumont School
Charterhouse School
Licensed Victuallers' School
Known forNFT art dealer

Education

Singh was educated at St John's Beaumont School, Charterhouse School and the Licensed Victuallers' School. He attended classes at Harvard University,[4] though left without earning a degree.

Career

In 2016 Singh set up a feminist art gallery called Amar Gallery in London.[5] The gallery exhibited the work of female artists and feminists including the Guerrilla Girls, Helen Frankenthaler, and Renee Cox.[6][7][8] Singh closed his North London gallery in April 2019 and the company was dissolved in October 2021.[1]

In 2019, Singh had stated his next venture, set to open October 2019, was Curated Golden Square, described as a "$100 million, 30,000 square foot apartment hotel".[9][8] In a 2021 follow up interview with Vanity Fair, Singh cited COVID-19 as the reason this venture did not move forward [10] The site in question, 37 Golden Square, is a collection of 23 apartments developed by Halmar in 2019.[11]

In August, 2021 it was reported that Singh had signed a $50 million NFT deal alongside artists Rewind Collective and digital collectibles platform VeVe.[12][13]

Philanthropy

In 2021 Singh pledged to donate $5 million worth of art by female, LGBTQ and minority artists to museums worldwide by 2025.[14][15] In January 2021, Singh donated a painting worth six figures celebrating women by the artist María Berrío to Los Angeles County Museum of Art,[14] and a portrait of inaugural poet Amanda Gorman to Harvard University's permanent collection, valued at £8,000.[16][14]

In June 2021 Singh partnered with Givenchy and VeVe to raise $128,000 for LGBT+ youth by collaborating with artists Rewind Collective and selling the first NFT created for a beauty brand.[17][18][19]

Activism

Singh has worked alongside the LGBT+ community in India to fight for equal rights, and through his gallery also mounted LGBT+ exhibitions including Links by artist Howard Tangye and Section 377, an online exhibition celebrating the road to India legalising homosexuality. Alongside Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil and other LGBT+ activists, Singh has called for the Indian government to strike down Section 377,[2] legalise same-sex marriage, same-sex adoption, and the banning of all LGBT conversion therapy practices.[2][5]

In July 2019 Singh spoke at the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute's Annual Future Leaders Conference, held at the Russell Senate Office Building, about women's rights and how communities are impacted through art and culture.[14][20]

Ancestry

He is a descendant of Raja Nihal Singh of Kapurthala.[21] In 2017 he was 16th in line to the former throne of Kapurthala.[22]

Recognition
  • 2019: Named in Forbes 30 Under 30 - Europe - for contributions to art and culture[23]

References
  1. "AMAR GALLERY PRIVATE LIMITED". Companies House. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  2. Bullock, Andrew (10 August 2020). "Amar Singh: "I don't know why we have to fight so hard for equal rights!"". Gay Times. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  3. Ocamb, Karen (30 November 2017). "Indian Royal Amar Singh on a mission for equality". Los Angeles Blade. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  4. Bullock, Andrew (21 August 2017). "Indian royal tells Attitude about the 'underground army' battling for LGBT+ rights in India". Attitude. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  5. Oppenheim, Maya (12 February 2018). "India's only openly gay prince is turning his pink palace into a centre for vulnerable LGBT+ people". The Independent. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  6. Hawgood, Alex (3 October 2017). "The Indian Prince Who Supports Gay Rights and the Arts (Published 2017)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 February 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. Hawgood, Alex (3 October 2017). "The Indian Prince Who Supports Gay Rights and the Arts (Published 2017)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 February 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. Bullock, Andrew (19 June 2019). "Amar Singh's Curated Quest for Equality". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  9. Baker, Sam (29 June 2019). "The (Male) Art Entrepreneur Exhibiting Female Artists". Forbes. Archived from the original on 30 June 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  10. "The Art of Amar Singh's Activism". 9 February 2021.
  11. "37 Golden Square". Buildington. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  12. "Amar Singh and Rewind Collective Launch NFTS to Champion Women and LGBTQ+ Communities".
  13. "Billion Dollar Boom: NFT Rainmakers". Vanity Fair. Vanity Fair. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  14. Bullock, Andrew (9 February 2021). "The Art of Amar Singh's Activism". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  15. "A tale of Churchill, Roosevelt — and Angelina Jolie". Financial Times.
  16. Onwuamaegbu, Natachi. "'This work must be in an institution.' Amanda Gorman portrait gifted to Harvard - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe.
  17. "Givenchy Beauty - Official site | Fragrance, make-up and skincare".
  18. "Givenchy Parfums Creates NFT Artwork to Profit LGBTQ Cause". 22 June 2021.
  19. "The Rise and Rise of NFT Artworks". 27 July 2021.
  20. "CHLI Conference Connects Future Leaders to the Real World". Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute.
  21. "Why This 31-Year-Old Gallerist Is Partnering With Christie's To Auction NFTs". Forbes. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  22. "Meet the 27-year-old Indian royal who just opened the hottest gallery in London". Elle (India). Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  23. Sternlicht, Alexandra; Baker, Samantha; McGrath, Maggie. "30 Under 30 Europe 2019: Art & Culture". Forbes. Archived from the original on 13 February 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
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