A new art exhibit, Desis in the Diaspora, launched June 10 at the Sikh Heritage Museum in Abbotsford.
“This site represents so much to our community,” said Satwinder Kaur Bains, director of the South Asian Studies Institute. “This temple connected the Sikh community so they could support one another and maintain cultural values.”
Desis in the Diaspora is a reflection on Canadians of South Asian heritage – now and in the past. The exhibit features South Asian Canadian youth artists Samaa Ahmad, Ishpreet Singh Anand, Nimra Bandukla and Serisha Iyer, and also highlights the work of Jagdeep Singh Raina.
Raina, an artist from Guelph, Ont., holds a master of fine arts in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design and has held several artist-in-residence positions in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Focusing on the word desi, which means a person of Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi birth or descent who lives abroad, Desis in the Diaspora asks what it means to be a desi.
The exhibit displays early 1900s photographs of South Asian immigrants alongside Raina’s re-creations of the historical images drawn with charcoal, pastel and pencil.
“My goal was depicting these pioneers as they began to carve a life out for themselves,” said Raina in his artist talk at the opening reception. “It’s important to understand your past.”
Raina first learned about the Sikh Heritage Museum in 2012 and two years later travelled by bus from Guelph to Abbotsford to spend time honouring the history of the community.
“I have always loved looking at old photos,” he said. “I focused on the diasporic images – their southwestern Ontario daily lives compared to their old lives in Punjab Province.”
Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun opened the exhibit, and Buncy Pagely gave a keynote address on the legacy of her father, the late Mahinder Singh Beadall, following Raina’s artist talk.
Beadall immigrated to Canada in 1913 and is remembered for his hard work and effort in establishing a foundation for the South Asian community. UFV dean of arts Dr. Jacqueline Nolte offered closing remarks and noted the power of museums and works like this exhibit to draw people in.
Opening reception attendees included MLA Mike de Jong, the Parliamentary Secretary for Sport and Multiculturalism Ravi Kahlon, and Abbotsford city councillors.
Desis in the Diaspora is organized by the University of the Fraser Valley’s South Asian Studies Institute (SASI).
SASI fosters inter-disciplinary scholarly research and community and public engagement on issues related to South Asia and the Canadian South Asian Diaspora.
Established in 1911, the Sikh Heritage Museum is a national historic site and Gur Sikh temple.
The Khalsa Diwan Society (Abbotsford) and SASI are responsible for the Sikh Heritage Museum.
For more information or to book tours, contact coordinator Sharanjit Sandhra at 604-851-6325 or email sharanjit.sandhra@ufv.ca.
Open to the public until May 2019, Desis in the Diaspora is the Sikh Heritage Museum’s 10th official exhibit.
The Sikh Heritage Museum, located at 33089 South Fraser Way, is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for self-guided tours.
