Surrey Art Gallery presents the fall opening of Jagdeep Raina: Ghosts In The Fields, September 21
Solo interdisciplinary exhibition depicts 1970s and ’80s farmworker movements with stop-motion animation, black-and-white drawings, hand-stitched quilts, and poetry
SPONSORED POST BY Surrey Art Gallery
Jagdeep Raina, Mass movement, 2023, mixed media on paper, sewn with bordered fabric, batted, basted, binded into a quilt. Courtesty of the artist and Cooper Cole, Toronto. Photo by Angela Chen.
Surrey Art Gallery has just announced that Ghosts In The Fields, a solo exhibition by interdisciplinary artist Jagdeep Raina, will launch on September 21. The fall opening presented with community partner Indian Summer Festival will feature a conversation with Raina at 6:30 pm, moderated by educator and community organizer Harji Sangra. There will also be a poetry performance by Phinder Dulai and music by DJ Aanam from Tala Collective.
Marking a significant moment in the geographical, cultural, and political landscape in B.C.’s Lower Mainland, Ghosts In The Fields draws inspiration from archival images and interviews by media artist Craig Berggold and filmmaker Anand Patwardhan. In addition to Raina’s own interviews with union organizers and agricultural workers, he examines the history of the 1970s and ’80s farmworker movements. During this period, migrant workers and union organizers from the Canadian Farmworkers Union protested wage theft, long hours, and exploitative working and living conditions endured by racialized farmworkers.
Jagdeep Raina, Black Widow Spider, 2023, glazed ceramic. Courtesty of the artist and Cooper Cole, Toronto. Photo by Angela Chen.
Raina’s research materialized into a visual narrative depicting the generational experiences of South Asian farmworkers. A stop-motion animation positions these historic labour movements against the current backdrop of the Lower Mainland. Raina’s black-and-white drawings are inspired by Berggold’s archival photographs taken in the 1980s.
What initially appear as idyllic scenes of farmworkers labouring in fields reveal a fiery red ghostly figure that disrupts the monochromatic composition. This figure symbolizes violence, exploitation, trauma, and loss experienced by the farmworkers. The art serves as a reminder of past lived experiences while also calling to mind the farmworker movements in India which have been ongoing since 2020.
Jagdeep Raina, Seasonal Life, 2023, mixed media on paper. Courtesy of the artist and Cooper Cole, Toronto. Photo by Angela Chen.
Hand-stitched quilts further share the history of various farming activities, protests, and the pivotal role of women in the labour movement to unionize farmworkers. Women are depicted marching and protesting, with one tapestry featuring a poem written by Raina which highlights the dangers faced by women in agricultural work. Another tapestry translates this poem into Gurmukhi and incorporates Phulkari, a traditional Punjabi embroidery celebrated for its intricate geometric designs.
Admission to the exhibition’s fall opening is free, and it will remain on display until December 15. More details are at Surrey Art Gallery.
Post sponsored by Surrey Art Gallery.
Jagdeep Raina, Manic Escape, 2023, mixed media (on paper, sewn with bordered fabric, batted, basted, binded into a quilt). Courtesy of the artist and Cooper Cole, Toronto. Photo by Angela Chen.