Our exclusive Q&A with Academician Karl Singporewala…
“…I consider myself incredibly fortunate that my profession, aspirations, and output are all aligned…. i.e. I get to use crayons at work!…”
Karl Singporewala is an architect, artist and associate director of Jo Cowen Architects. He was elected as a RWA Academician in 2022 and his art work is held in both public and private collections world-wide and has been exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery, Onassis Cultural Centre Athens for the Lumen Prize, V&A digital futures, the New York Institute of Technology, and the Royal Academy of Arts.
Karl’s work operates at the intersection of architecture and sculpture, usually taking the form of a series of maquettes or scale architectural models, and explores social well-being, emotions, human-scale and witnessing, as well as drawing on his Zoroastrian Parsi heritage.
In 2024 Karl will be a selector at the Friends of the RWA exhibition. Here’s our Q&A…
When did you realise you were an artist?
Being an artist is not defined by profession, education or income. There isn’t a regulatory body which protects the title of ‘artist’ (like the Architects Act of 1997 protects the title of architect). It is defined by the simple act of creating. Which is why I believe that everyone is born an artist; just give any child a crayon and watch how prolific things can get. It’s pure bohemian, art for art’s sake.
Creating and dreaming are my two favourite pastimes, they also happen to be the two key components I look for in other architects and artists. When I realised I could create dreams, by dreaming of creating; that’s when I took on the moniker of ‘artist’.
But, if we are all born artists, how do some people lose it? Maybe being worn down by the responsibilities and repetitions of adulthood has something to do with it. Also, we spend our formative years learning through play and creation, why then we stop that method of learning and limit/demonise the arts in the early teenage years of education is beyond my comprehension. I consider myself incredibly fortunate that my profession, aspirations, and output are all aligned…. i.e. I get to use crayons at work!
Why do you make art?
I am compelled to create objects imbued with my emotions.
The RWA has a long history of promoting architectural work alongside the other visual arts. How does your own art relate to your professional architectural work? Is there a clear divide between the two, or does one influence the other?
My artistic practice is a product of my profession. My maquettes, models and sculpture are always to an architectural scale (look for the small red figure if ever in doubt). An architect uses their drawings and models to communicate ideas, concepts and details. This is the same approach I take with my artwork which communicates ideas, stories and emotions. My maquette are usually base models for ideas and concepts, but that influence flows in both directions. The buildings I am designing usually end up featuring in my art work and are intertwined with my research projects and everyday life.
How has your work changed or evolved through your career? Was there a particular turning point?
Turning points and evolution can always be traced back to collaboration and mentorship with individuals… There are ones that cast the big shadows (which is always useful when the light is blinding), and then there are the ones that let me stand on their shoulders.
“…An architect uses their drawings and models to communicate ideas, concepts and details. This is the same approach I take with my artwork, which communicates ideas, stories and emotions…”
What did becoming elected as an Academician of the RWA mean to you? And what role does the RWA play in your life generally?
I keep telling everyone that being made an Academician should be treated as a life sentence. The RWA was formed 139 years before I was born and I expect it to run that much further and beyond once I’ve gone. I currently feel a sense of custodianship, the same one feels when they move into a listed home, it’s not yours, it’s a ship that will outlive you, you just have to help her on her way during your part of her voyage. Its walls and ghosts operate on a different scale of time to mere mortals. My aim is to contribute, celebrate and champion its causes, and leave it in a better place than when she found me. She will do the same for me.
To answer your question more directly, I’m making preparations for my remains to be buried in the crypt under the RWA once I expire. That’s how much she means to me.
“…I’m making preparations for my remains to be buried in the crypt under the RWA once I expire. That’s how much she means to me…”
You were a selector at the RWA 170 Open, and we’re delighted that you’ve also agreed to select for the 2024 Friends’ exhibition. Do you enjoy that role – and what will you be looking for in the Friends’ art?
I’ve had my fair share of successes, awards, rejections and rebukes. I’ve been in architectural competition interviews where it’s gone amazingly well (and I haven’t won) and other times where it’s gone sh*t (and I have won)!
Do I enjoy picking great artwork, absolutely. Do I hate not picking great artwork, absolutely! But it’s going to happen, it’s subjective, it’s flawed, but above all the process is wonderfully/terribly human.
What am I looking for? I’m looking for ‘The translation of Emotion and Craft into Fine Art’.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently designing:
- A lighthouse for my estranged children.
- A large high public sculpture in Gatwick based on the invisible gravity parents exude.
- The reinvention of a 16th Century farm building in the Manchester countryside.
- Generally, I am currently helping co-lead the private homes group at Jo Cowen
Architects in Chelsea London with Spanish Architect Carlota Tarragona, which allows me to work on both historic and listed buildings as well as experience the eclecticism of modern living. We are currently directing over a dozen projects, all at different stages of development.
Finally, a fairy godmother waves her magic wand and says you can own any artwork in the world. What do you choose?
If I could take home anything in the world, it would have to be Giles Gilbert Scott’s competition winning prototype for the K2 telephone box. The prototype is made completely of timber and is hidden in the left entrance arch of the Royal Academy of Arts, London.
Whenever I’m near, I always have a moment with her. We catch up often, she is always there for me.
The Floating Circle 
1 Comment