The Lesser-Known Lives Of Punjabi Women From The ‘Black Country’

The Lesser-Known Lives Of Punjabi Women From The ‘Black Country’
Andrea Fernandes

The idea of belonging is a complicated notion when you look at diaspora communities. There’s no single South Asian identity or experience. For South Asian immigrants and next generation kids, it is a multifaceted and highly nuanced thing. On one hand lies their heritage and the traditions of their parents that often gets even more hardened within their homes after they’ve left their country of birth, while on the other is the society, culture and customs that they themselves have grown up with – be it American, British, Canadian, or any others.

The Indian diaspora is far-reaching and wide and not many know that the Black Country (a region of the West Midlands in England, referring to Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton) is home to one of the largest Punjabi communities outside of the motherland. Since their arrival in the 1940s, they have grown to become integral parts of their society influencing the very landscape of the region’s culture, arts and economy with their unique identities.

Creative Black Country, along with Multistory and the Nazar Foundation brought together four female photographers to explore the nuances of this identity. Jocelyn Allen (UK), Jennifer Pattison (UK), Andrea Fernandes (India) and Uzma Mohsin (India) travelled the West Midlands – from Wolverhampton and Walsall to West Bromwich – as well as Punjab (Jalandhar to Patiala) to tell the story of this community through the visual documentation of its women and young girls. Girl Gaze – Journeys Through the Punjab & The Black Country is an exhibition that will showcase their work and “explore the lives of a diverse set of women. Grandmothers, daughters, family relatives, housewives, professional women, students and young girls in an orphanage, invited the photographers to experience the routine, joy and challenge of their daily lives,” as explained by Creative Black Country, an organisation that engages with the local community through art.

The exhibition touches upon themes of patriarchy, tradition, culture and memory as well as the idea of belonging to women in the two countries. “They demonstrate the importance women place on family and community but also the impact to themselves and their traditional values that comes with migration and assimilation into different cultures. Equally, the works propose that identity is not defined by place but also by bonds of love and friendship maintained throughout life.”

Talking about the project, a part of Arts Council England and British Council’s Re-Imagine India cultural exchange programme, Parminder Dosanjh, Creative Director of Creative Black Country, said, “We have strong Indian historical roots here, in business, culture and education, but somehow we’ve disconnected from India today. We’ve used ‘Bollywood films’ and romanticised stories about life in India as a means to connect, and sadly missed an evolution of contemporary culture. This project allows us to stimulate new conversations and reimagine India in the 21st Century.”

“Their work reveals interesting synergies and equally compelling divergences regarding the complex nature of migration, and the relationship established between diaspora communities in the Black Country and their origins in the Punjab,” added Curator, Iona Fergusson. “Each artist brings their individual interests and distinctive narrative styles to the fore.”

Girl Gaze – Journeys Through the Punjab & The Black Country premiered in Chandigarh on March 10, 2018, and will be travelling to Jalandhar where it will on exhibit from March 23 - 27 at the Apeejay College of Fine Arts. It will also be showcased in Delhi, London and Wolverhampton later in the year, you can follow Creative Black Country’s website for more information.

Feature image photographed by Andrea Fernandes for Girl Gaze – Journeys Through the Punjab & The Black Country.

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