Ghar Kaha hai (Where is Home?)
Ghar Kaha Hai? (Where is Home?) Anushray Singh Time-Based Media Art and Photo Exhibit January 9 – February 2, 2024 Third Space: Places, Spaces and Idea of ‘Home’ is a seminal work building on the MFA Thesis show Ghar Kaha Hai? (Where is Home?) (2020). The exhibit expresses Anushray Singh’s continuous exploration of the concept of ‘Third Space’ through the perspective of immigration, identity, nostalgia, longing, abandonment, memory, and homeliness. Through photographs and time-based media, audiences are immersed in the complex and nuanced identity involved in the homemaking of immigration.
S’eliyemetaxwtexw Art Gallery, Room B136, B Building University of the Fraser Valley 33844 King Road, Abbotsford BC, Canada
Phase 2 of Ghar Kaha Hai? Where is Home?
Documentary. Art show.
50 diverse people from primarily South Asian communities will be asked about the meaning of home, migration, belonging, and identity.
Jyotika is a full time high school teacher and part time writer and tarot reader. She enjoys hikes and long walks in nature or on beaches, and is also an avid cook. Her favourite dish to make currently is a Mexican soup called pazole. She loves to travel and has a long list of destinations on her wishlist that she hopes to cross off in the years to come.
Munish Sharma is an actor, writer and producer. Born in Regina, Saskatchewan Munish graduated from the University of Regina in 2006 and moved to Vancouver in 2007. He began his career as the co-creator of the hit underground cult sketch group, I can't Believe it's not Butter Chicken from 2008 to 2012. His first work as a playwright, Mrs. Singh and Me won Pick of the fringe honours at the Vancouver Fringe Festival in 2015. He has written a few more shows since then, the most recent being the play #34about the life of the late great CFL legend George Reed which premiered in 2022 at Regina's Globe Theatre. He is currently in rehearsals for his fourth season with Bard on the Beach, Vancouver's premiere Shakespeare festival. Munish also plays Bhima, in Whynot Theatre’s adaptation of the ancient epic Mahabharata, which premiered in 2023 at the Shaw Festival and at the Barbican Theatre in London England last fall, with a world tour on the horizon in 2025. He’s grateful for the support of his family and friends
Aditi Doshi was Born and raised in Mumbai, moved to Canada over 10 years back. Vfx artist by profession. Loves to explore, travel and photography. She explores idea about home, relationships and identity as a woman across India and Canada. In her interview for this project, she opens up to reflect on cultural nuances and experiences of being at home and away from home, as states of emotions and belonging.
Vinayak was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, but he was raised in many cities, the majority of which were in Mumbai, Maharastra, India. He moved to Canada seven years ago. He is an animator by profession and a guitarist at heart. In his free time, he loves to sketch. He opens up about idea of home, growing up, adulthood and bond with family. He enunciates the idea of home as a feeling of partnership with his wife; friendship and self-improvement.
Sampoorna is a machine learning engineer based in Vancouver, BC. She moved here from New Delhi, India, to pursue her post-graduation from the University of British Columbia. In our conversation, she talks about her Bengali roots, being a Delhiite and now a Vancouverite. She discusses home, growth, life skills, and friends, as they are ever-evolving and changing. She feels at home, where she finds connection and meaning through friends, communities, and her relationship with her partner.
Alsaba is a marketing and advertising professional. She considers herself as part of a nomadic couple inspiring impromptu trips, unique experiences & slow travel. She has lived in 5 countries across Asia, Africa and North America. She has a lifetime of people-watching and learning-unlearning and mastering the art of human behavior. An avid traveller who finds joy, insights and ideas while on the go. With our chat, Alsaba, discusses the idea of home, family, growing up and connection with her roots.
Yash is a marketing and advertising professional. He considers himself as part of a nomadic couple inspiring impromptu trips, unique experiences & slow travel. He has lived in 5 countries across Asia, Africa and North America. With our conversation, Yash opened up about growing up in a small town in Madhya Pradesh, India, then gradually moving to metropolitans and now in Vancouver, Canada. He talks about concepts of home hinging to experiences and people instead tying oneself to just a physical space.
Sarah Yim (they/she) is a multi-disciplinary performer and filmmaker with special skills in various dance styles, movement, improvisation, and comedy. Their credits and filmography are ever evolving, including diverse roles and accolades. Sarah is a lifelong learner and loves immersing themselves in art and culture. In our conversation, we talked about the idea of home, as Sarah reflects on moving around South Korea, New Zealand and finally their family settling in Vancouver. Sarah also ponders about authenticity as a person and their own sense of self.
In our conversation, Dolly opens up about her perspective on family, bonds, emotions, home, and sense of belonging. She reflects on the nature of moving countries. She reminisces about the meaning of home as a child and an adult through evolving relationships with ageing parents. Dolly also introspects on the cultural and personal meaning of being Punjabi and living and working in Canada.
Chetna, an educator, reflects on the meaning of diverse cultures and their significance in understanding each other. She talks about her relationship with her homeland of India and her current home in Canada. She also opens about the cultural and social gaps between India and North American culture. The conversation reflects on nostalgia, emotions, and memories one experiences when they move countries.
In conversation with Lily, Emilio and Fernando, all international students currently pursuing creative degrees in Vancouver, BC, Canada, the idea of home (hogar in Spanish) comes into light.
Lily and Emilio shares their perspectives of home and life through the lens of their Mexican heritage, while similarly Fernando widens it through his El Salvadorian roots.
Even though the project is more geared towards Indian and South Asian immigrant perspectives, but we also find similar notions of home, nostalgia and identity in many Latin American, East and South-east Asian communities.
In conversation with Xinni, Yihan, and Jinglei, I gained a fascinating perspective of home from the perspective of the Chinese diaspora in Canada. All of them, who are studying creative courses in Vancouver, BC, share their ideas of home, self, and identity through their unique experiences.
The Term 家 Jiā may loosely translate to home in Mandarin and other Chinese dialects. All of them can discuss how this term refers to family, community, and the feeling of home.
Even though the project is more geared toward Indian and South Asian immigrant perspectives, we also find similar notions of home, nostalgia and identity in many Latin American, East and Southeast Asian communities.
Nazeem is a creative adventurer hailing from the scenic island of Mauritius.
Nazeem in his own words: In 2023, armed with the unwavering support of my family, I’ve embarked on an exciting chapter. I find myself at LaSalle College in Vancouver, Canada. Returning to the student life after a professional decade might sound like a challenge, but I’m tackling it with the enthusiasm of a rookie.
In my interactions with Nazeem at LaSalle and in a personal capacity, we have chatted about various facets of creativity and individual and cultural ideas. In this interview for this project, Nazeem brilliantly expands on the concepts of family, home, work, life, and discovering his sense of identity.