Rodman Hall Art Centre/Brock University
Sarindar Dhaliwal
The Radcliffe Line and Other Geographies
Curated by Marcie Bronson
May 23 to September 27, 2015
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 20, 2 pm
Rodman Hall Art Centre/Brock University
ST CATHARINES- Toronto-based artist Sarindar Dhaliwal was born in the Punjab, India, and raised in London, England before moving to Canada in 1968. Working in a range of media that includes installation, video, photography, and drawing, she weaves compelling narratives that explore issues of culture, migration, and identity. Rooted in memories and dreams, Dhaliwal’s work reflects on the dissonance of the immigrant experience, often addressing her childhood experience and perceptions of Eastern and Western customs. Drawing out the themes of personal identity and familial relationships that appear throughout her practice, this exhibition brings together monumental works from Dhaliwal’s oeuvre of the last twenty years, contextualizing her recent interdisciplinary body of work exploring the history and ongoing consequences of the 1947 partition of India. Addressing difficult personal and collective narratives in lush, visually-stunning works that employ vibrant colours and floral motifs, Dhaliwal’s thought-provoking work responds to colonial histories with a critical approach that maintains reverence for wonder and imagination so that, as the artist describes, she may return beauty to the world.
Sarindar Dhaliwal received her BFA with a concentration in sculpture at University College Falmouth, UK, and her MFA from York University. She is currently enrolled in the Cultural Studies PhD program at Queens University. Dhaliwal was the 2012 recipient of the Canada Council International Residency at Artspace in Sydney, Australia. She has exhibited widely in Canada since the 1980s.
Sarindar Dhaliwal: The Radcliffe Line and Other Geographies will tour nationally through 2016, and will be accompanied by a major exhibition catalogue co-published by Rodman Hall Art Centre, The Reach Gallery Museum, and The Robert McLaughlin Gallery.
Rodman Hall Art Centre is grateful for the ongoing support of the Ontario Arts Council. This exhibition has been supported by the technical assistance of the Department of Visual Arts, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, and Grounds Services, Brock University. We acknowledge the promotional support of SAVAC (South Asian Visual Arts Centre).
