has moved her bedroom into Surrey Art Gallery.
Well, not exactly her bedroom, but the artist害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檚 main space features what Johal calls a 害羞草研究所渓oose re-creation害羞草研究所� of her old bedroom in the exhibit 害羞草研究所淲hat If?害羞草研究所� her first in Surrey.
害羞草研究所淲hat if her formative influences had been daring, defiant South Asian women?害羞草研究所� an event advisory asks. 害羞草研究所淲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害羞草研究所檚 stories through art.害羞草研究所�
Artist Sandeep Johal害羞草研究所檚 teen bedroom re-imagined with South Asian role models at Surrey Art Gallery.
害羞草研究所� 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, 害羞草研究所淛ohal layers her personal history with those of South Asian women she wished she knew about as a first-generation South Asian youth 害羞草研究所� role models, pioneers, trailblazers, vigilantes and rebels,害羞草研究所� all previously featured in Johal害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淗ard Kaur害羞草研究所� series of portraits (害羞草研究所淜aur害羞草研究所� is a typical middle name assigned to Sikh females at birth, meaning 害羞草研究所渓ioness害羞草研究所�).
害羞草研究所淎ll of those women are in the wallpaper behind the bed, but then they害羞草研究所檙e also embodied in different objects and things in this bedroom,害羞草研究所� Johal told Black Press Media.
害羞草研究所淚 was growing up with, you know, 害羞草研究所�90210,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所楳y So-Called Life,害羞草研究所� listening to Madonna and Gwen Stefani, and there was no representation of my culture. So here, I害羞草研究所檓 going back to my teen bedroom and I害羞草研究所檓 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.害羞草研究所�
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PICTURED: Artist Sandeep Johal in her 害羞草研究所渂edroom害羞草研究所� 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.
害羞草研究所淭his bedroom is very true to who I was as a teen,害羞草研究所� she revealed. 害羞草研究所淚 haven害羞草研究所檛 put anything in here that I didn害羞草研究所檛 utilize or enjoy as a teen. And so, on the bulletin board there, those are fake show posters I害羞草研究所檝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害羞草研究所檚 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.害羞草研究所�
A 害羞草研究所淗ard Kaur害羞草研究所� jean jacket represents Johal害羞草研究所檚 teen passion for clothing modification and the equally prominent 害羞草研究所淪pice害羞草研究所� tapestry riffs on a 害羞草研究所済irl power害羞草研究所� British pop group of the late-1990s.
害羞草研究所淲hen the Spice Girls came out, I was in my early 20s, I think, and I thought, 害羞草研究所榃ow, this is so amazing, these women are so cool and so empowered,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Johal recalled. 害羞草研究所淎nd as adult you realize it was all fake empowerment, fake feminism and a completely manufactured band. So I looked at this as, 害羞草研究所榃ell, who would my Spice Girls be?害羞草研究所� I chose five of the women from the series to be, you know, my version of the Spice Girls.害羞草研究所�
They are 害羞草研究所淏andit Queen害羞草研究所� Phoolan Devi, suffragette Sophia Duleep Singh, rebel Laxmi Bai, vigilante group founder Gulabi Gang and labour-protest leader Jayaben Desai.
害羞草研究所淢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?害羞草研究所� Johal said. 害羞草研究所淵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害羞草研究所檚 having those role models that show you anything is possible. It may not be easy, but it害羞草研究所檚 possible.害羞草研究所�
A 害羞草研究所渢omboy害羞草研究所� growing up, Johal didn害羞草研究所檛 wear much makeup and was known as 害羞草研究所淗oops,害羞草研究所� for her love of basketball.
害羞草研究所淭hese are real photos, but photocopies of them,害羞草研究所� she said of images affixed to a vanity mirror. 害羞草研究所淭his is a photo of me from the 害羞草研究所�90s but I cut out my friend and put another woman from 害羞草研究所楬ard Kaur,害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檚 a big deal, but she was a lone woman doing that, and it害羞草研究所檚 quite an accomplishment in terms of safety alone. So that picture is of her and I palling around. I didn害羞草研究所檛 really have many brown friends growing up in a town that wasn害羞草研究所檛 very diverse.害羞草研究所�
Scattered on the bed are teen-girl magazines with cover models now adorned with mehndi.
害羞草研究所淭hese are thin, white blonde women who totally appropriated Indian culture all the time, but I thought they were so cool,害羞草研究所� Johal emphasized. 害羞草研究所淎s a teen I didn害羞草研究所檛 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.害羞草研究所�
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PICTURED: Artist Sandeep Johal害羞草研究所檚 depiction of murdered Surrey resident Maple Batalia. (Photo: Tom Zillich)
Also featured in the gallery are Johal害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淩est in Power害羞草研究所� series of drawings of 12 murdered women and 害羞草研究所淔or Jyoti,害羞草研究所� an animated film about the 2012 murder of Delhi student Jyoti Singh.
害羞草研究所� RELATED STORY, from 2016:
害羞草研究所淪urrey has a South Asian diaspora community,害羞草研究所� noted Suvi Bains, Surrey Art Gallery害羞草研究所檚 assistant curator. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 important to see our community represented through art exhibits that address difficult subjects and uplift resilient women.害羞草研究所�
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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