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Join artist Charan Singh to explore the queer histories, communities and acts of resistance that shape Your Tongue in My Mouth
Join artist Charan Singh for a guided tour of Your Tongue in My Mouth, his new solo exhibition at Autograph examining how across South Asia, gender fluidity and sexual diversity have deep histories that have often been obscured and overlooked in the colonial context.
Through 22 newly commissioned portraits of Hijra, Kothi and trans people in Delhi, Singh centres communities whose experiences of gender, sexuality and belonging have long existed outside dominant Western frameworks. Created through relationships formed over more than two decades of HIV/AIDS advocacy and community organising, the portraits foreground the agency of Singh’s sitters and their right to define how they are seen and represented.
Moving through the exhibition with Singh offers a chance to encounter these works through the artist’s own perspective and hear more about the histories, communities and research that inform his practice. The tour will consider some of the wider questions and research at the heart of Your Tongue in My Mouth - from the impact of colonial laws on gender expression and intimacy to the role of language, representation and collective resistance in shaping queer histories.
The tour will last approximately 45 minutes and conclude with an audience Q&A, offering an opportunity to ask Singh questions about the exhibition and his wider practice.
Tickets for this event are £5. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. If the ticket price is unaffordable for you, please get in touch with Ishy at ishy@autograph-abp.co.uk about free ticketing options.
Free Exhibition
Celebrating the lives and collective resistance of gender fluid communities in India
Charan Singh (born 1978, Delhi, India) is an interdisciplinary artist who explores the mediums of photography, video and text to understand how language shapes queer landscapes and the politics of representation.
Prior to coming to the UK in 2012, Singh was a non-English speaker and had an unusual relationship with the English language, where words got altered and they adopted new meanings. He often uses his 'pre-English language' gay life to question the legitimacy of certain forms of queer histories in India and the UK.
Previously an AIDS worker in India, he retrained as an artist, leading to a research interest in queer theory that comes from a place of the void of subaltern representations and the desire to agitate that void and foregrounds the significance of storytelling as a knowledge system.
Singh holds a master's in fine art from the University of Creative Arts, Farnham and a PhD from the Royal College of Art. His work has been exhibited at The Art House, Wakefield; The Photographers’ Gallery, FotoFest, Houston amongst others. His writing has appeared in Photo South Asia, TAP Review and On Curating. Singh has been commissioned by Visual Aids (New York), The Art House, Wakefield and Fierce, Birmingham. He lives and works between London and Delhi.
Everyone is welcome at Autograph. Planning a visit? Have a look at our Visit Us page to find out more about getting to the gallery, accessibility and more.
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Autograph's events are popular. We highly recommend booking in advance.
Our building and entrance is step free. A wheelchair accessible lift goes to all floors.
This event will take place in Gallery 2, on the second floor.
The ticket price for this event is £5. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. If this ticket price is unaffordable for you please get in touch with Ishy at ishy@autograph-abp.co.uk about free ticketing options.
Autograph's events are popular, and often sell out. We recommend booking a ticket in advance. If you need to cancel your ticket for any reason, you can receive a refund up to 24 hours before the start of the event. You do not need to bring your paper ticket to the event.
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Supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
Exhibition supported by Cockayne Grants for the Arts, a Donor Advised Fund, held at The Prism Charitable Trust.
Banner image: Charan Singh, Phoolwa, 2026. Commissioned by Autograph, London
Images on page: Speakers: Courtesy the speakers. 4) Charan Singh, Rasili, 2026. Commissioned by Autograph. 5) Autograph, London. Photograph by Kate Elliot.
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Autograph is a space to see things differently. Since 1988, we have championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice, sharing how photographs reflect lived experiences and shape our understanding of ourselves and others.
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