has moved her bedroom into Surrey Art Gallery.
Well, not exactly her bedroom, but the artist含羞草研究社檚 re-imagination of her teen-years space in Kelowna, where the now-Vancouver-based Johal grew up subconsciously searching for more feminist South Asian role models.
This fall, the gallery含羞草研究社檚 main space features what Johal calls a 含羞草研究社渓oose re-creation含羞草研究社� of her old bedroom in the exhibit 含羞草研究社淲hat If?含羞草研究社� her first in Surrey.
含羞草研究社淲hat if her formative influences had been daring, defiant South Asian women?含羞草研究社� an event advisory asks. 含羞草研究社淲hy were such figures unseen and unheard of in both private and public spheres? Johal revisits, re-imagines, and reclaims her past by sharing these women含羞草研究社檚 stories through art.含羞草研究社�
Artist Sandeep Johal含羞草研究社檚 teen bedroom re-imagined with South Asian role models at Surrey Art Gallery.
含羞草研究社� Tom Zillich (@TomZillich)
She revisits "what my life could have been like had I known about these women," growing up in Kelowna.
STORY:
Through textiles, paintings, drawings and animation, 含羞草研究社淛ohal layers her personal history with those of South Asian women she wished she knew about as a first-generation South Asian youth 含羞草研究社� role models, pioneers, trailblazers, vigilantes and rebels,含羞草研究社� all previously featured in Johal含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淗ard Kaur含羞草研究社� series of portraits (含羞草研究社淜aur含羞草研究社� is a typical middle name assigned to Sikh females at birth, meaning 含羞草研究社渓ioness含羞草研究社�).
含羞草研究社淎ll of those women are in the wallpaper behind the bed, but then they含羞草研究社檙e also embodied in different objects and things in this bedroom,含羞草研究社� Johal told Black Press Media.
含羞草研究社淚 was growing up with, you know, 含羞草研究社�90210,含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社楳y So-Called Life,含羞草研究社� listening to Madonna and Gwen Stefani, and there was no representation of my culture. So here, I含羞草研究社檓 going back to my teen bedroom and I含羞草研究社檓 revisiting and re-imagining what my life could have been like had I known about these women, and how that could have impacted me in different ways as I grew into an adult.含羞草研究社�
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PICTURED: Artist Sandeep Johal in her 含羞草研究社渂edroom含羞草研究社� at Surrey Art Gallery, in a new exhibit of her works. (Photo: Tom Zillich)
The subject is explored at the gallery during , starting at 2 p.m., amplifying an exhibit on view until mid-December.
含羞草研究社淭his bedroom is very true to who I was as a teen,含羞草研究社� she revealed. 含羞草研究社淚 haven含羞草研究社檛 put anything in here that I didn含羞草研究社檛 utilize or enjoy as a teen. And so, on the bulletin board there, those are fake show posters I含羞草研究社檝e made of South Asian female bands, because there was none of that growing up either. It was Red Hot Chill Peppers and Nirvana and Alanis Morissette, you know, so that含羞草研究社檚 just a re-imagination. Those are real venues in Kelowna, and the dates are all significant to me, done in the spirit of DIY posters.含羞草研究社�
A 含羞草研究社淗ard Kaur含羞草研究社� jean jacket represents Johal含羞草研究社檚 teen passion for clothing modification and the equally prominent 含羞草研究社淪pice含羞草研究社� tapestry riffs on a 含羞草研究社済irl power含羞草研究社� British pop group of the late-1990s.
含羞草研究社淲hen the Spice Girls came out, I was in my early 20s, I think, and I thought, 含羞草研究社榃ow, this is so amazing, these women are so cool and so empowered,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 Johal recalled. 含羞草研究社淎nd as adult you realize it was all fake empowerment, fake feminism and a completely manufactured band. So I looked at this as, 含羞草研究社榃ell, who would my Spice Girls be?含羞草研究社� I chose five of the women from the series to be, you know, my version of the Spice Girls.含羞草研究社�
They are 含羞草研究社淏andit Queen含羞草研究社� Phoolan Devi, suffragette Sophia Duleep Singh, rebel Laxmi Bai, vigilante group founder Gulabi Gang and labour-protest leader Jayaben Desai.
含羞草研究社淢y real question with all of this is, how do women endure such oppressive conditions and have the resilience and perseverance to just keep going?含羞草研究社� Johal said. 含羞草研究社淵ou know, how are some people so resilient while others are not, and what creates that resilience? All of these women have that resilience, which I think is incredible. It含羞草研究社檚 having those role models that show you anything is possible. It may not be easy, but it含羞草研究社檚 possible.含羞草研究社�
A 含羞草研究社渢omboy含羞草研究社� growing up, Johal didn含羞草研究社檛 wear much makeup and was known as 含羞草研究社淗oops,含羞草研究社� for her love of basketball.
含羞草研究社淭hese are real photos, but photocopies of them,含羞草研究社� she said of images affixed to a vanity mirror. 含羞草研究社淭his is a photo of me from the 含羞草研究社�90s but I cut out my friend and put another woman from 含羞草研究社楬ard Kaur,含羞草研究社� Roshni Sharma, who was the first woman to ride a motorbike solo from the top of India to the bottom. People might not think that含羞草研究社檚 a big deal, but she was a lone woman doing that, and it含羞草研究社檚 quite an accomplishment in terms of safety alone. So that picture is of her and I palling around. I didn含羞草研究社檛 really have many brown friends growing up in a town that wasn含羞草研究社檛 very diverse.含羞草研究社�
Scattered on the bed are teen-girl magazines with cover models now adorned with mehndi.
含羞草研究社淭hese are thin, white blonde women who totally appropriated Indian culture all the time, but I thought they were so cool,含羞草研究社� Johal emphasized. 含羞草研究社淎s a teen I didn含羞草研究社檛 see myself represented in any of this pop culture. So I kind of Indian-ified the magazine covers in this way, kind of daydreaming of a time when someone like me could be on a cover like that.含羞草研究社�
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PICTURED: Artist Sandeep Johal含羞草研究社檚 depiction of murdered Surrey resident Maple Batalia. (Photo: Tom Zillich)
Also featured in the gallery are Johal含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淩est in Power含羞草研究社� series of drawings of 12 murdered women and 含羞草研究社淔or Jyoti,含羞草研究社� an animated film about the 2012 murder of Delhi student Jyoti Singh.
含羞草研究社� RELATED STORY, from 2016:
含羞草研究社淪urrey has a South Asian diaspora community,含羞草研究社� noted Suvi Bains, Surrey Art Gallery含羞草研究社檚 assistant curator. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 important to see our community represented through art exhibits that address difficult subjects and uplift resilient women.含羞草研究社�
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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