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Tate Liverpool announces Chila Kumari Singh Burman retrospective

  • Writer: maxwell museums
    maxwell museums
  • 2 hours ago
  • 2 min read

Artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman will enjoy the first ever retrospective exhibition of her career at Tate Liverpool.


The British-Indian artist — who grew up in Liverpool’s Bootle — said she was delighted to be “coming back home.” Her exhibition will be the first to be staged at Tate Liverpool when it reopens in 2027 following major redevelopment work.


The show was announced by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy on a trip to Delhi.

Chila Burman stands smiling in front of colorful steps and neon signs at Tate Britain. Vibrant patterns and lights create a lively atmosphere.
Chila Burman © Tate (Joe Humphrys)

Nandy said “the exhibition will honour one of Britain's most innovative artists and marks an exciting new chapter for Tate Liverpool as it transforms into a modern day museum at the heart of the city.”



Chila Kumari Singh Burman has a widely recognised, unique visual identity that has been shaped by her working-class childhood. A self-described ‘Punjabi Scouser’, Chila’s retrospective will celebrate all five decades of her career.


While exact details on what will be displayed won’t be revealed until nearer the time, it would be unthinkable for it not to feature part of her most famous work — 2020’s Remembering a Brave New World. The vast and stunning technicolour installation on the facade of London’s Tate Britain became a site of pilgrimage to art lovers during the Covid pandemic, when visits to indoor venues were banned.


Neon lights adorn Tate Britain's classical building, displaying phrases like "Love Shine Light" and "remembering a brave new world" in vibrant colors.
Chila Kumari Singh Burman Remembering a Brave New World © Tate (Joe Humphrys)

Chila explores her female and British-Indian identity through her work. She creates pieces spanning drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, photography and video. But it's her more recent neon installations that have grown her a huge fanbase in recent years.


Weaving together traditional and popular Indian culture, family memories, self-portraiture and music influences ranging from punk and reggae to Bhangra and Bollywood music, Chila’s politically-charged work has been formed in direct response to her environment.


Tate Liverpool director Helen Legg, said Chila "was always the artist we wanted to show on reopening,” adding that she's “renowned for creating irreverent pop and punk inspired works in kaleidoscopic colour.”


Tate Liverpool reopens in 2027

The Chila Kumari Singh Burman retrospective is the first exhibition to be announced for the transformed Tate Liverpool, with further exhibitions and displays to be revealed in the coming months.


The gallery will reopen in 2027, two years later first planned due to struggles financing all the redevelopment work.


Colorful stacked rock sculpture in front of a Tate Liverpool's building. People walk and play nearby. Open windows reveal a modern interior.
Tate Liverpool's proposed new exterior. © 6a architects

Chila Kumari Singh Burman said: “I’m made up to be coming back home to Liverpool with an exhibition that spans my whole career, from the River Mersey to the Land of the Five Rivers in Punjab. It is a real honour to be reopening the gallery and I hope the exhibition inspires a whole new generation of visitors”.


The exhibition will be supported by the Bagri Foundation. Nandy thanked them for their financial commitment and she hoped “their generosity inspires others to follow their philanthropic lead."


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