'Sarnami, Hai; Suriname, I am' in commemoration of 150 years of Hindustani Immigration

Readytex Art Gallery would like to invite you to the exhibition ‘Sarnami, Hai; Suriname, I am’ in commemoration of 150 years of Hindustani Immigration. Sarnami, Hai; Suriname, I am‘ depicts events and elements that have (had) an influence on the identity formation of Hindustanis, from the moment of their arrival in Suriname in 1873 to the present day.

With works by Dhiradj Ramsamoedj, Kit-Ling Tjon Pian Gi, Kurt Nahar, Sri Irodikromo, Kenneth Flijders, Shaundell Horton, Sunil Puljhun, Hanka Wolterstorff, Miguel Keerveld, Leonnie van Eert, Rinaldo Klas, René Tosari, Roddney Tjon Poen Gie and Wilgo Vijfhoven, curator Aruna Mungra portrays these events and elements, such as the arrival of the indentured labourers and their uncertainty and fear on their way to the unknown whilst hoping for a new and better life; the hard work on the plantations, where sugar cane was the main crop; family, traditions and religion. But also more current issues, such as the position of women, alcoholism and discrimination.

The eye-catching works Alakondre Blue and Shaman Ecology by Miguel Keerveld, in which time, space and diversity play an important role, refer to the dynamic and multidimensional character of identity: the individual and collective aspect, and time and place, as these four elements are interrelated and influence each other. As a Hindustani in Suriname, your identity is substantially formed by your roots in India and the 150 years of shared history and shared view of the future with all other Surinamese, who often also have their roots elsewhere in the world: Sarnami, Hai; Suriname, I am.

‘Sarnami, Hai; Suriname, I am‘ can be visited in Readytex Art Gallery from Thursday, June 8 to Saturday, July 1, during the gallery’s regular opening hours. These are from Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm and on Saturday from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm.

You are most welcome!

Team Readytex Art Gallery