Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, year unknown
Medium: Sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: This fountain is particularly beautiful during the monsoon season
Dimensions: 124 x 80 x 123 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1020

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1980s
Medium: Sculpture in reinforced cement with coloured oxide
Dimensions: 63 x 55 x 20 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1018

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, year unknown
Medium: Sculpture in reinforced cement with coloured oxide
Artist's story: "Krishna and The Mother (the mother of everything). In the statue there are fish and Krishna has a flute in his hands." - Kiron Sinha, January 2008
Dimensions: 236 x 218 x 160 cm. Height with plinth: 293cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1032

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, year unknown
Medium: Frieze in cement
Artist's story: After a burglary in the 1980s the door to the dining room was blocked in and decorated
Dimensions: 240 x 86 x 35 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1034

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1980s
Medium: Frieze in cement
Artist's story: After a burglary in the 1980s the door to the dining room was blocked in and decorated
Dimensions: 88 x 49 x 2 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1039

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1980s
Medium: Sculpture in cement
Artist's story: "In this pot is growing a tree from South America." - Kiron Sinha, January 2008
Dimensions: 49 x 46 x 46 cm
Provenance: Private collection, India
Catalogue number: SINK-1005

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1952
Medium: Sculpture in reinforced cement with coloured oxide
Artist's story: "The oldest sculpture. The woman worked in our house, she did the rice and dal cooking on a kerosene stove." Gertrude Sinha Hirsch, January 2008
Dimensions: 206 x 154 x 152 cm. Height with plinth: 233cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1036

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1970s
Medium: Sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: Mother India is holding up a child (India). Behind them is Kamona (Bulbul).
Dimensions: 206 x 154 x 152 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1004

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1960s
Medium: Ceramic
Dimensions: 45 x 29 x 30 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-3004

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, late 1980s or early 1990s
Medium: Frieze in cement
Artist's story: "This work is unfinished because as I got older the concrete became too rough for my hands." - Kiron Sinha, January 2008
Dimensions: 96 x 146 x 38 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1003

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1988
Medium: Sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: "The neck is elongated like a lotus stem... she is like the rhythm of the lotus leaf, the way it grows... Sometimes I don't trust my eyes... so I have to feel what I am doing." - Kiron Sinha, January 1988
Right Head Dimensions: 106 x 23 x 27.5 cm
Left Head Dimensions: 107 x 26 x 25.5 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1001

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, c. 1965
Medium: Sculpture in reinforced cement with coloured oxide
Dimensions: 40 x 49 x 18 cm
Provenance: Private Collection, India
Catalogue number: SINK-1037

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1950s
Medium: Frieze in cement
Artist's story: A joyful dance by Santali women in their village
Dimensions: 135 x 118 x 20 cm
Provenance: Possibly destroyed in 2017 when the outdoor bathroom was demolished during renovations
Catalogue number: SINK-1002

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1984
Medium: Sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: "One day Gerti said 'I think you should make a sculpture of Indira because she has done so much for you and you should dedicate it to her'. On the day that I started work, news came that she had been assassinated after I had begun." - Kiron Sinha, February 2008
Dimensions: 295 x 148 x 158 cm. Height with plinth: 295cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1006

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1975
Medium: Sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: When Kiron was 17, Tagore came into the art room at Kala Bhavana to see the students' work. He pointed at Kiron's work and said "that boy has talent". Kiron was shy and did not come forward to touch Tagore's feet. Nevertheless, Tagore's words inspired him to continue working.
Dimensions: 148 x 37 x 53 cm
Provenance: Private Collection, India
Catalogue number: SINK-1007

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1980s
Medium: Sculpture in reinforced cement
Dimensions: 126 x 59 x 67 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1041

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, year unknown
Medium: Sculpture in cement around a dead tree
Artist's story: "This bird is from my imagination. I built it around a dead tree in the garden." - Kiron Sinha, January 2008
Dimensions: 211 x 67 x 93 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1008

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, c. 1955
Medium: Sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: "I made this sculpture to show outsiders my love for my family." - Kiron Sinha, January 2008
Dimensions: 171 x 123 x 80 cm. Height with plinth: 231cm
Provenance: Private Collection, India
Catalogue number: SINK-1009

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, c. 1955
Medium: Sculpture in reinforced cement with coloured oxide
Artist's story: "This is a bath to hold champa phul (চম্পা ফুল / frangipani). It is especially romantic by moonlight." - Kiron Sinha, January 2008
Dimensions: 96 x 70 x 78 cm
Provenance: Private Collection, India
Catalogue number: SINK-1010

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1988
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement and frieze in cement with coloured oxide
Artist's story: "They are the spirit of the house, welcoming you in." - Kiron Sinha, 1988
Radha dimensions: 142 x 33 x 12 cm
Krishna dimensions: 142 x 34 x 13 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1011

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, year unknown
Medium: sculpture in cement around a dead tree with coloured oxide
Artist's story: "The open mouths in this sculpture used to be used by birds for their nests. I used to feed the baby birds honey." - Kiron Sinha, January 2008
Dimensions: 233 x 219 x 60 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1012

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, year unknown
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement
Dimensions: 103 x 75 x 11 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1050

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, year unknown
Medium: sculpture in cement
Dimensions: unknown
Catalogue number: SINK-1058

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, circa 1998
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: "I did this sculpture when I was nearly blind" - Kiron Sinha, January 2008
Dimensions: 166 x 73 x 54 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1013

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1984
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: "This is Purnima. Her name means 'full moon'. She was my good friend who helped us out a few times when we were in trouble. She died from breast cancer." - Gertrude Sinha Hirsch, January 2008
Dimensions: 186 x 95 x 100 cm. Height with plinth: 234cm
Provenance: Private Collection, India
Catalogue number: SINK-1014

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, pre 1988
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement with coloured oxide
Artist's story: Chinese influence from the time that Kiron spent in Nanjing as a student
Dimensions of bottom rail: 112 x 237 x 18 cm
Dimensions of top rail: 126 x 416 x 18 cm
Provenance: Destroyed during renovations in 2014
Catalogue number: SINK-1015

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, c. 1975
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement
Dimensions: 127 x 48 x 76 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1016

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1970s
Medium: sculpture in cement with coloured oxide
Dimensions: 73 x 40 x 28 cm. Height with plinth: 96cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1017

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, year unknown
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: "I made this after Indira Ghandi's first visit. There was only a ladder to climb to the studio, so I made a stair with this rail." - Kiron Sinha, January 2008
Dimensions: 143 x 30 x 22 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1019

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, c. 1955
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement with coloured oxide
Artist's story: "We used to eat out here when the house was still being finished. It's very romantic by moonlight." - Kiron Sinha, January 2008
Dimensions: 32 x 125 x 165 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1021

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1980s
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement and bricks
Dimensions: 127 x 78 x 59 cm
Provenance: Private Collection, India
Catalogue number: SINK-1022

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1973
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: This was done the year after Kamona (Bulbul) died, and is dedicated to her. Krishna is playing the flute. Kamona is playing tanpura and singing Bhajan
Dimensions: 225 x 184 x 140 cm. Height with plinth: 308cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1023

Artist, year: Kiron Sihna, 1973
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: "She is a cross between a woman and a crocodile and a fish." - Kiron Sinha, January 2008
Dimensions: 66 x 148 x 160 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1024

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, after 1988
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: It is likely that Kiron did much of this sculpture by feel as his eyesight had deteriorated so much by this time. Kumudini is a Hindu girl's name meaning 'lotus'. The figure is holding a lotus.
Dimensions: 204 x 51 x 43 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1025

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, year unknown
Medium: sculpture in cement with buttons
Dimensions: 32 x 28 x 15 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1026

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, year unknown
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: "It's Radha playing Krishna's flute." - Gertrude Sinha-Hirsch, January 2008
Dimensions: 98 x 69 x 71cm. Height with plinth: 113cm
Provenance: Private Collection, India
Catalogue number: SINK-1027

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, year unknown
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: This is Yashoda holding her son Krishna
Dimensions: 183 x 46 x 36 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1028

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1981 or before
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement
Dimensions: 127 x 62 x 50 cm
Provenance: Destroyed
Catalogue number: SINK-1029

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1994
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement with coloured oxide
Artist's story: "He does a lot of cement sculpturing all over the place... lately a beautiful arch near the gate with large and small birds intricately placed among plants and creepers... he has to make breaks due to rain and also to rest his fingers which gets wounded by the cement... due to his bad eyes he has to do all by hand.” - Letter from Gertrude Sinha-Hirsch to her family in Australia, 16 June 1994
Dimensions: unknown
Catalogue number: SINK-1057

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1993
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: Juma was a favourite dog of Kiron's
Dimensions: 148 x 52 x 70 cm
Provenance: Private Collection, India
Catalogue number: SINK-1030

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, c. 1975
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: Dedicated to Gertrude, the spirit that inspires me
Dimensions: 175 x 60 x 119 cm. Height with plinth: 248cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1031

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, pre 1988
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement
Dimensions: 87 x 67 x 67 cm. Height with plinth: 175 cm
Provenance: Private Collection, India
Catalogue number: SINK- 1033

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, year unknown
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: The words on the flute read "Bulbul" and "love"
Dimensions: 182 x 124 x 100 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1035

Artist, year:  Kiron Sinha, c. 1978
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement
Artist's story: The head of the sculpture is a bird feeder. Each day Gertrude would put out puffed rice on the tray and watch the birds and squirrels come to feed. In letters to her family in Australia she would describe it as "my television".
Dimensions: 94 x 37 x 42
Catalogue number: SINK-1038

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, year unknown
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement with coloured oxide and metal gate
Dimensions: 237 x 86 x 43 cm (the dimensions only describe the cement plinths, not the metal gate)
Catalogue number:  SINK- 1040

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, post 1972
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement and frieze in cement with coloured oxide
Artist's story: The Guha was built to honour Bulbul after her death
Left sculpture dimensions: 113 x 49 x 49 cm. Height with plinth: 135 cm
Right sculpture dimensions: 110 x 37 x 46 cm. Height with plinth: 139 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1044

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, post 1972
Medium: sculpture in reinforced cement with coloured oxide
Artist's story: This sculpture represents two characters from the story "The Golden Swan" from the Jataka Tales. The story is about greed.
Dimensions: 188 x 52 x 36 cm. Height with plinth: 228 cm
Catalogue number: SINK-1045

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, year unknown
Medium: frieze in cement
Artist's story: Gertrude's family was from Vienna and her parents perished in World War Two. This may be a memorial to them.
Dimensions: unknown
Catalogue number: SINK-1072

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1960s
Medium: fresco
Dimensions: unknown
Catalogue number: SINK-4001

Artist, year: Kiron Sinha, 1960s
Medium: fresco
Dimensions: unknown
Catalogue number: SINK-4014

Born: 15 June 1911, Vienna, Austria
Died: 5 September 2011, Santiniketan, West Bengal

In June 1936 Gertrude graduated from the Vienna School of Applied Arts and in the same year she travelled to Madras to take up a position as Art Teacher at the Annie Besant Memorial School.

Throughout her life, Gertrude was an art educator for children, a muse and educator for Kiron, and an acclaimed artist in her own right.

Born: 4 March 1916, Khalapara, Bengal
Died: 5 December 2011, Santiniketan, West Bengal

Kiron was admitted to Kala Bhavan, Visva-Bharati University in 1933. He completed his studies in 1937, and travelled to Nanjing to study Chinese classical painting at Sun Yat-sen University. Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, Kiron left early, returning to Madras where he got work teaching art at Vidyodia School and at Kalakshetra.

It was in Madras that Kiron met and married Viennese-born Gertrude Hirsch. Throughout their long lives the couple travelled extensively throughout India, eventually settling in Santiniketan.

Born: 4 November 1950, Adelaide, Australia
Died: 9 August 2015, Adelaide, Australia

Robert was Gertrude's nephew who lived in Adelaide, Australia. Throughout his life he maintained an extensive correspondence with Gertrude and Kiron. In 1988 he travelled to Santiniketan where he documented the artworks and interviewed the couple about their lives and the artworks' stories. He produced this as a video documentary.

Native to the Indian subcontinent, these cheeky monkeys loved the Sinha's garden. They particularly enjoyed devouring Kiron's prized roses and munching mangoes straight from the trees!

Common throughout the Indian subcontinent, bulbul birds loved to visit Kiron and Gertrude's garden. They would drink and play in the various water features scattered around the garden and feed from the nectar of the flowers. The bulbul sings in a delightful way, and this was the nickname given to Kiron and Gertrude's only child, Kamona.

Each day Gertrude would open her living room window and place puffed rice on the sculpture in front of it. Squirrels would flock to the sculpture, and nibble away on their free feed. In the 1990s in particular, Gertrude would describe this daily routine in letters to her family in Australia and would joke that this was her 'television'.

BulbulArt commissioned the talented artist Lei Wen to produce a map of the house and grounds of Bulbul Art Gallery in Santiniketan. We shared hundreds of photographs with Lei. She meticulously drew each of Kiron Sinha's sculptures and placed them in this stunning garden setting. We couldn't be happier with the result, thank you Lei!

Kiron and Gertrude always kept dogs, they always came to them from the street.

Favourites included "Bula", "Juma", and "Braunie".