Priya Raj talks to four South Asian artists about the new gallery, what inspired them, and what advice they would give to the next generation of South Asian artists.
South Asia and Britain have a troubled relationship. It has been commonplace to tell tales of the colonial era, territorial division, managed famines, enslavement, and robbery.
The South Asia Gallery at the Manchester Museum will be the first in the UK to focus on the tales of the South Asian diaspora. The gallery will focus on Past & Present, Lived Environments, Innovation & Language, Sound, Music & Dance, British Asia, and Movement & Empire. The gallery will take visitors on a journey that begins with influential women from the Mughal Empire, such as Nur Jahan, empress of Hindustan, continues through the impact of the British empire, including the trauma of the 1947 Partition, one of the largest forced migrations in history, and ends with what it means to be British Asian in the present while highlighting additional marginalized communities, such as queer stories.
The Manchester gallery paying homage to the South Asian diaspora https://t.co/APLtUmfPz7 via @cntraveller
— Manchester Museum (@McrMuseum) February 16, 2023
The South Asia Exhibition Collective, a group of 30 people from several disciplines, co-curated the gallery due to the highly charged nature of the tales and artwork to be displayed. The South Asia Gallery Collective, a group of 30 people from several fields, and gallery curator Nusret Ahmed discussed the choices. "The gallery's approach has been story-led, and artifacts around the space have been chosen to help understand the stories being told," the statement reads. The team allowed the artwork to tell the tale instead of selecting themes initially and then curating the exhibition; "they were borne naturally and weaved into the stories."
Motala Azra
Azraa Motala's large-scale oil paintings are familiar yet unique. I implore you to define me, Constrain me in your twisted ideology, Feel entitled to my identity, and Project your prejudice onto me is the title of her power work, which will be displayed at the South Asian gallery. It explores what it means to be a British Asian today. I am more than you realize; I will not surrender to your ideas; I am reconstructions of suffering; I do not require your release.
"I investigate the opposition between the East and the West, history, politics, the empire, Orientalist representations of women in art, and the lived experiences of British South Asian women negotiating the position of insider and outsider in and among the familiar and foreign - including notions of identity, belonging, culture, and heritage within the context of the contemporary Western space."
British South Asians are under and incorrectly represented in politics, the media, the arts, and culture as a result of British South Asian history being all too frequently neglected in our educational systems and cultural organizations. In contrast, the exhibition will ideally shed light on the diverse histories and experiences of the South Asian diaspora, disrupting political discourse and the notion of "otherness."
"[To the upcoming generation of artists]: trust the creative process without placing too much pressure on yourself. Believe in your concepts and your vision. It's beneficial to take pauses when things are going slowly and to enjoy the hectic times. It's okay that your work and energy will fluctuate.
Melanie Oliver
Two of Michelle Oliver's works are on show in the British Asian section's "Anglo-Indian" article. She depicts the pain and destabilization of mixed-race people's sense of self through collage methods.
"Visibility and invisibility are important. Most people don't know about Anglo-Indians, so I have to explain their history, which is both British and Indian. There is such a thing as "explanation fatigue," and sometimes art speaks louder than words. Many individuals of color and persons of mixed race may identify with this. Many South Asians are likewise unaware of Anglo-Indians because we are such a tiny ethnic and religious minority on the subcontinent.
"I create art that expresses a quality of my identity and that I wish I had seen as a child. Not just Anglo-Indians and other persons of mixed ethnicity, but everyone who feels underrepresented or invisible, I believe, may find some meaning in the art. One dream for the gallery that came up during our initial conversation was that [our] children would discover their rich ancestry and that [our] elders would see some of their experiences honored and reflected in the exhibit. We all firmly believe that the gallery should be a friendly place for everyone, not just those with South Asian ancestry.
"Watching other people's work has given me so much inspiration and knowledge. Being an artist entails vulnerability and taking chances. Being a member of a network [of artists] that I trust and who are supportive has been beneficial to me. Find individuals whose opinions you respect, who are nice, and who you trust to be the future generation of artists.
Aziz Ibrahim, M.D.
Aziz Ibrahim is a Muslim artist from Britain whose debut album is titled "Lahore to Longsight." The heading outlines his family's journey from Lahore, Pakistan, to Longsight, an area of inner-city Manchester where he was born and continues to reside. The lyrics on the album are in English, Punjabi, and Urdu and are combined with his original "Asian Blues" sound.
"I've had numerous life situations that have inspired my art as a British Pakistani guy (my so-called identity established by the powers that be) born in the 1960s. Racism and ignorance stoked my rage, which not only fueled my drive for success but also compelled me to make a statement of resistance against stereotypes and generalization.
"[The South Asia Gallery] will empower and include the underrepresented, the forgotten, the alienated, the dual heritage, and many more individuals who are a part of South Asian history and its future. It won't be as 'pure' or 'authenticity' focused and instead will highlight those neglected experiences. For me, music serves as the unifying factor that unites people from all over the world.
"[To the upcoming generation of artists]: Be yourself; your identity is good enough and deserving of equal value to everyone else's. Accept your flaws and make an effort to be as flawed as you can. Since it is what mankind is, so too should art represent that.
The twin Singhs (Amrit Singh MBE and Rabindra Kaur Singh MBE)
The Singh Twins have received praise for redefining Eurocentric conceptions of identity and art. A 17-meter mural that depicts the South Asian diasporic experience has been created by them that draws on their lived experiences as artists and their style of eclecticism.
Our identity as British artists with dual Indian and English ancestry serves as our source of inspiration. It represents how proud we are of our history. However, it is also impacted by the cultural bias we experienced as art students when teachers rejected our work as archaic, out-of-date, and incompatible with modern art since it was influenced by a traditional Indian art style. Growing up in Britain, we were obliged to adapt to mainstream British culture, which we saw as entrenched in a colonial ideology of western superiority. Through a deeper comprehension and more accurate depiction of Colonial history, [our goals as artists] have always been to confront institutional bias, harmful racial stereotyping, and misconceptions about cultural identity and ownership.
"Museums and galleries are essential to our ability to understand the world around us and to develop our sense of ourselves in connection to others. These occult linkages, common identities, and histories that yet have contemporary significance are what truly piques our interest as artists. Bringing together lived experience, artifacts, art, and performance has a remarkable gathering effect.
Taking a look at Manchester Museum's new South Asia gallery | CN Traveller https://t.co/BidF7X6HkB
— Esme Ward (@ward_esme) February 16, 2023
"People [and artists] ought to query more. Everyone accepts the plethora of views and concepts that are thrown about. However, accepting them without challenging them breeds prejudice, which I'm sure we've all encountered. Amazing art may be created by challenging conventions and definitions in art and everyday life. [To the upcoming generation of artists]: Use your creative skills to the maximum extent since art is a very accessible and powerful means of communication.
Public access to the permanent South Asian gallery at the Manchester Museum will begin on February 18, 2023.
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