Rashmi Talwar (The Tribune Friday, March 16, 2001, Chandigarh, India)

As a befitting tribute to the great artist, late Sardar G.S. Sohan Singh, a memorial trust was formulated in his name for the preservation and presentation of the artist’s major contribution to the cultural ethos of India with particular reference to Punjab.

The trust aims to set up a memorable museum in the vicinity of the holiest shrine of the Sikhs, the Golden Temple complex.The museum will put on display an array of the outstanding art works related to the history of the Harmindar Sahib (Golden Temple), in addition to the works of old masters as well as contemporary artists in an attempt to rejuvenate and revive the ancient Indian culture for the generations of today.

On the forefront of the trust are the artist’s sons, Surinder Singh, Satpal Singh ‘Danish’ and Harpreet Pal Singh, who have given a concrete shape to the idea to revive the interest of the masses in the great works of artists.

Lamenting the vanishing of Sikh cultural works from gurdwaras, deories, sarais, havelis, dharamshalas and akharas, the trust aims at retracing and collecting the neglected and lost bits of this heritage. This includes intricate and valuable art pieces, both historical and ancient in addition to art books, tools and the era artfolios.

Their subsequent display at a visibly prominent place in the Temple would do justice to the vast panorama of the artistic works of the era.

The late master artist, Sardar Sohan Singh, was renowned for the vast array of brilliant art works that were not only confined to the Sikh history, but also included the Mughal history and Hindu mythology.

His collection includes the “Satyamev Jaitey of Bhagat Pralad” depicting Pralad in a devotional posture undaunted by the evil attempts of Holika to kill him. The facet of natural innocence mesmerises many as he continues in penance in complete affinity with the divine beautifully indexed by the artist.

“Hemkund Visualised” in another of the artist’s tremendous spirit. Set in the lofty ice peaks of Hemkund Sahib where Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru’s in complete communion with the eternal Master. Of special attraction is the “seeming” waves of the Guru’s scarf that keeps the on rush of the evil forces at bay surrounded as the Guru is with a divine halo or the nimbus englowing the Guru.
“Rendezvous of the Souls” traces the love of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, the two lovers separated by fate meet in the heaven above bathed in the golden glow of the evening. The Taj Mahal, symbol of their love, becomes a natural venue of incessant unions and reunions of souls of lovers forever.

Other works of the artists include “Listening to the Woes of Kashmiri Pundits” irked as they were by the Muslim onslaught, “Punjabi Mela” depicting joyous music and dancing or the “Literacy Campaign” show and old man dabbling in the alphabet on a wooden tablet (takhti), its relevance not lost in recent times.

Sardar Sohan Singh, born to Bhai Gian Singh “Naqqash”, a renowned artist in frescoes and inlay art work on the walls of the Golden Temple, after doing his apprenticeship with Sardar Hari Singh, toured with the famous Elphinston Threatrical Company and carried their plays to various townships of Delhi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Mumbai, Calcutta etc.

Learning and incorporating numerous techniques of art, he later established his art studio in 1931-32 at Amritsar.

He produced some rare original art creations over a period of 70 years working ardently till his last day at the ripe age of 85 in 1999 when he died.