Mansimran Singh learnt pottery from his father, late Sardar Gurcharan Singh at Delhi Blue Art Pottery, 1956-59. He then went to England to train under Bernard Leach and Geoffrey Whiting. In 1960, he was invited to the Berlin Arts Festival and the 500th anniversary of the Dresden Art Gallery. He visited the Meissen’s porcelain factory and also went to Vellauries, France, where Picasso made his distinctive ceramics. His first solo show was held in Jaipur in 1961, followed by exhibitions in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi and Chennai. In 1966 he showed at the Commonwealth Institute, London. In 1976, he helped set up the pottery studio at Garhi. In late 1985 he moved to Andretta in Himachal Pradesh where he set up a pottery and crafts society and marketing center with support from the Handicrafts Board. Earlier in 1985, he went with his wife, potter Mary Singh to the UK on a British Council grant, visiting British potters working in glazed earthenware. This led to the shift from high-fired stoneware pottery to low-fired earthenware or red clay work at Andretta, a thriving pottery centre. A managing trustee of Delhi Blue Pottery Trust, Mansimran Singh continues to be active in the teaching and promotion of pottery.
Mansimran Singh lives and works in Andretta, Himachal Pradesh.
