Ishwar Singh Chitrakar
1910
– 1968
Poet, writer, and renowned painter. Counted among the poignant poets of his time.
Ishwar Singh (1911–1968) was a distinguished Punjabi painter, poet, and writer whose contributions spanned visual arts and literature. Born in 1911, he received formal training in Fine Arts from the Mayo School of Arts in Lahore, now part of Pakistan. Following his education, he briefly served as a drawing master at a local school. He later joined the Central Government's Information Department as a senior artist. During his time in Delhi, he held two exhibitions showcasing his artwork. In 1961, he moved to England with his family, where his paintings were exhibited twice in London. In 1966, he founded the Punjabi Sahit Sabha in London and became its president. He also initiated the Punjabi literary magazine 'Savera' in England. His notable literary works include 'Kalma di Awaz' (1943) and 'Gall Baat' (1950), which are collections of dialogues, as well as poetry anthologies such as 'Sool Surahi' (1955), 'Bhakdiyan Lehran', 'Trel te Tare', and 'Triveni'. In 1942, he published a book titled 'Guru Nanak Darshan' focusing on religious themes. He passed away on December 2, 1968, due to a heart attack.