How can diasporic experiences inspire and encourage different pieces of art? Last week the new Grebel Gallery exhibit, DRAFTS 6: Mapping Diasporic Identities, had its launch. With over 50 people engaging with the art and reflecting on diasporic experiences, this launch had room for everybody.
Mapping Diasporic Identities brings together six artists who draw on their personal histories, cultural heritage, and lived experiences in the diaspora to create works that question conventional ideas of identity and belonging. Through diverse materials and approaches, these artists invite viewers to consider how stories are carried across borders and how identity is continuously negotiated, reshaped, and reclaimed.
After giving the land acknowledgement, which was especially salient for an exhibit on relocation and belonging, the exhibit’s curator, Soheila Esfahani, explained pieces by the artists JJ Lee, Paria Shahverdi, and Tazeen Qayyum. Soheila talked about the inspirations and meanings behind these art pieces and how they relate to the experience of diasporic individuals. Some of the themes highlighted include solidarity, seen through the imagery of cockroaches, or cultural heritage illustrated through different colours and images of wallpaper.
Paria Shahverdi, an Iranian artist’s piece, stood out to the Centre’s Program Assistant in particular. The canvas is striking upon first glance, and through Soheila’s narration it becomes clear how the piece represents industrialization and femininity. Paria’s piece combines two of her earlier pieces, “A Truck Goes Through a Tulip Field” and “Suppression 2.” The first displays a collision of delicate florals with the force of an industrial truck, which serves as a metaphor for the erasure and persistence of beauty, memory, and femininity under state sanctioned violence. “Suppression 2” extends this exploration by presenting a sculptural-visual form derived from the heavy arms of industrial machinery.
Another very memorable part of the launch was hearing Wen Li explain her piece. Wen, a Chinese artist, displays names on name cards on a narrow table. On one side of the card is a name of English origin, and on the other side a name of Chinese origin. This symbolizes how many Chinese immigrants change their names upon coming to Canada. This prompted many other people at the launch to share their own diasporic experiences related to their names.
For example, Áine Belton, from the Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery, shared how her name of Irish descent is perceived as difficult to pronounce. Áine’s name is pronounced as “An-ya.” This evoked a conversation about mispronunciations of certain names in everyday scenarios. Some people shared that they purposefully use different names on coffee orders and Uber requests simply to avoid miscommunication. Áine mentions how she proudly uses her name in these scenarios, since it’s her name and deserves to be recognized as that.
At the end of the program, people were invited to ask questions about the art, which led to more meaningful conversation. Many people were not only inspired by the art but could also see themselves in little aspects of every piece.
Overall, the launch night for the exhibit served as a thought-provoking and insightful event for not only the artists to share their experiences, but also for everyone to reflect on their own lived realities in the diaspora.