Sancintya Mohini Simpson explores indentured labor history through materials at Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts
The exhibition 'ām / ammā / mā maram' by Sancintya Mohini Simpson is currently on display at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts until October 22. As a first-generation Australian with Anglo-Indian heritage, Simpson connects her ancestry to Indian indentured laborers in South Africa. Her collection features watercolor pieces, including 'Woman of Indenture no. 3' (2018), where she revives traditional artistic methods. Through the use of memory-rich materials, she explores overlooked histories, especially those of women. The title of the exhibition highlights linguistic dislocation, stemming from her mother’s lack of Tamil or Telugu education. Research uncovered a 1954 birth certificate that identified an uncle as 'free or indentured,' linking her work to Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak's exploration of marginalized narratives.
Key facts
- Sancintya Mohini Simpson's exhibition 'ām / ammā / mā maram' runs through October 22 at Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts
- Simpson is a first-generation Australian artist of Anglo-Indian descent with maternal ancestors who were Indian indentured laborers in Natal, South Africa
- Her 2018 watercolor 'Woman of Indenture no. 3' uses traditional Indian painting techniques to depict labor conditions
- The exhibition includes sculptures made from mango wood, clay pots fired in sugarcane sawdust, paper from mango fibers, and scents from mango leaves
- Simpson's mother wasn't taught Tamil or Telugu despite hearing them from her grandmother, creating linguistic displacement
- Family research uncovered a 1954 birth certificate and ship lists documenting caste and village origins of ancestors
- Indentured labor replaced slavery after 1834, with over 150,000 Indians brought to Natal until the practice ended in 1911
- The exhibition title combines Hindi and Tamil words for mango, mango tree, and mother
Entities
Artists
- Sancintya Mohini Simpson
- Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak
Institutions
- Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts
- East India Company
Locations
- Australia
- South Africa
- Natal
- India
- Perth
- Cape