A new exhibited, titled َ مل َਉਮੀਦ دیما आशा Hope, will be on display at the Two Rivers Gallery starting on Friday.
The exhibit features works by seven South Asian Canadian artists: Aman Aheer, Minahil Bhukari, Farheen Haq, Keerat Kaur, Sunroop Kaur, Sara Khan and Mustaali Raj
“The artworks created by these contemporary artists are connected by a common consideration of hope and explore this theme through reflections on identity and celebration of South Asian cultures,” a statement issued by the gallery says. “This exhibition opens during the South Asian holiday of Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Diwali celebrates the triumph of light over dark and hope over despair, a theme which is also at the core of this exhibition. These artworks challenge our ideas of hope and ask us to examine what it means to each of us, individually and collectively, and how it is informed by culture and community.”
The exhibit includes a wide range of mediums, including embroidery, wood and ceramic sculptures, illuminated watercolour paintings and more.
Vancouver-based artist Sandeep Johal is the guest curator of the exhibition.
َ مل َਉਮੀਦ دیما आशा Hope displays “different manifestations of hope, each rooted in individual identities and stories, connected to complex pasts and ancestral lineages, and exploring present day anxieties and fears, while simultaneously dreaming up new ways of building the future,” Johal said.
Artists Haq, Keerat Kaur, Sunroop Kaur and Johal will host a discussion about the exhibit, moderated by Vancouver-based art historian Jas Lally on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. A reception with live music will follow. The event is free and open to the public.
