Chila Burman’s neon art sparks Diwali spirit across London

Installations feature traditional motifs and themes from Indian festivities

• Amit Roy
• 29 October, 2024

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By: Amit Roy

IN THE run-up to Diwali, the artist Chila Burman lit up London’s West End with 14 of her neon installations.

The eight in Leicester Square included depictions of the deities Ganesh and Lakshmi, curly fish, sea shells and an Indian Barbie doll in a sari

Her Lakshmi is rightly placed in a lotus, but is also given a veena, which is normally the preserve of Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom, music, art and learning.

In the three days from October 10-12, other neon installations could be seen on the London Trocadero, the Hippodrome and Westminster Reference Library.

She placed flamingos in the glass front of the Londoner Hotel, where she stayed the night to prepare for a 6am launch of her artworks, while it was still dark.

Chila expressed delight that a statue of William Shakespeare, leaning against a pile of books was looking down on her creations: “Shakespeare says, ‘There is no darkness, but ignorance.’ And my installation is called, ‘There is no darkness in the garden of light.’ It’s almost like visual poetry. It’s great honour to be here.”

The Shakespeare quotation comes from Twelfth Night:

Malvolio: I am not mad, Sir Topas: I say to you, this house is dark.

Feste (who is disguised as the priest “Sir Topas”): Madman, thou errest: I say, there is no darkness but ignorance; in which thou art more puzzled than the Egyptians in their fog.

Malvolio: I say, this house is as dark as ignorance, though ignorance were as dark as hell; and I say, there was never man thus abused. I am no more mad than you are: make the trial of it in any constant question.

Chila was commissioned by “Art of London”, which has a segment called Art After Dark. Art of London was launched in 2020 by the “Heart of London Business Alliance (HOLBA)” in partnership with Westminster City Council and some 500 businesses and 100 property owners in the Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, St James’s and St Martin’s areas of the West End.

Galleries such as the Royal Academy, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Gallery and many other institutions stay open late as part of Art After Dark.

Kirsty Tullett-Jones, director of marketing and communications, Art of London, said: “Art After Dark returns bigger than ever before, inviting culture seekers to explore the West End’s spectacular exhibitions, bars, and restaurants. Chila Burman’s neon installations beautifully capture the enchanting energy of the area, and we hope it inspires visitors as they experience this trail of illuminated art.”

One of HOLBA’s directors is Krishma Singh-Dear, head of design at Edwardian Hotels London, the group that includes the Londoner and May Fair hotels and is headed by her father, Jasminder Singh, and her brother, Inderneel Singh.

“When we asked her if it would be ok to put flamingos in the front of the Londoner, she said, ‘Absolutely,” a HOLBA source commented. “She was very enthusiastic.”

As dawn broke on a chilly morning, a councillor from Westminster City Council, Ryan Jude, arrived to express support for Chila.

Asked by Eastern Eye whether there was a diversity element to the projects backed by Westminster, Jude responded: “Completely.” He said he came from a Christian family in India: “I’m 29 and the first member of my family born in this country. All my family is from India. My dad grew up in Bombay (now Mumbai). My mum grew up mainly in the south – in Kerala, in Goa, in Tamil Nadu. And my brother and sister were born in Bangalore.”

Jude, who is the cabinet member with responsibility for climate, ecology and art at Westminster, added: “I’m the first cabinet member of Indian descent in the city’s history, and so a big thing for me is ensuring that we support our different, diverse communities. Westminster is one of the most diverse communities in the whole country, and Chila’s artworks obviously celebrating Indian Hindu culture is brilliant, particularly with Diwali around the corner.”

He said that “this was the second year in a row where we’ve brought art out into our community to enable our residents to visit galleries late into the night and experience art that we have here in Westminster.”

When it was pointed out that some British Asians, especially among the elderly, were apprehensive about going into theatres and art galleries, the councillor acknowledged: “As the cabinet member for culture, the biggest thing for me is connecting our communities and our residents with the offerings that we have.

“We often hear how the West End has this public culture, with the theatre district, with the museums and the art offerings, but many of our residents often feel disconnected from it.

“We want to encourage all our communities, no matter where they come from or what their background is, to come and see what we have to offer here. The museums often put on historic events that touch on Indian culture, African culture, European culture, we cover the world here. It’s not just focused on England, and we want to celebrate that in the arts and what we have in the outdoor spaces as well.

“So, we’re actively supporting residents to see that not only can they access this, come and see the art, but it could be a career for them. A career in the creative industry is so important for the UK’s economy. I want to encourage as many people as possible in Westminster to experience that.”

He added: “The West End is the hub of the UK’s cultural offer, and as the council, we’re always wanting our residents and tourists to come and experience what it is that we have to offer here. But we’re conscious that sometimes it’s difficult to find the time to get into some of our most famous galleries. So the Art After Dark offering is absolutely brilliant. It enables our residents to come into the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery and more and see them late at night.”

Jude emphasised: “Culture and creative industries are one of the biggest economic drivers that we have in the UK. It’s also an international soft power. Look at our music scene, look at our artists, look at our TV shows, our film industry, look at how far they reach across the globe. And we need to make sure that we keep that going. To us in Westminster, it also brings tourists here. They come to see the artwork. They come to see our galleries, they come to see our theatres, and then they stay. They go to our restaurants, they go to the bars, they go to the shops. So, it’s really crucial that we keep our cultural offer here nice and strong.” They go to our restaurants, they go to the bars, they go to the shops. So, it’s really crucial that we keep our cultural offer here nice and strong.”