Pardafash (To Reveal the Truth)

Pardafash translates “to reveal the truth” in Punjabi. In an era plagued by anti AAPI hate crimes and hailing from the home country of India that perpetuates unrest and oppression against ethnic and religious minorities, 11 Sikh artists unify to paint a vision of their experiences living in post 9/11 America. In India, Sikhs are faced with intense discrimination due to being a religious minority, which is mirrored abroad, where the cruelty after the racist backlash of 9/11 haunts them daily. Through a range of mediums including fabric sculpture, video installation, fashion design, AR, film, painting, and animation, these Sikh artists reveal the hidden stories of their people and the trauma of recent historical tragedies - some of which are too difficult to speak about publicly out of fear of being targeted by the Indian government even today. Pardafash not only speaks volumes about the current day status of Sikhs but also serves as a one of a kind exhibit. Where historically, prominent Sikh art exhibits feature historical pieces, this is a contemporary take on the recent events that changed the lives of all Sikh people. It is also one of the only prominent Sikh exhibits to be curated by a Queer Sikh woman.

What is it like to be a minority within a minority? There are only 26 million Sikhs worldwide, 24 million of which live in India, which has a total population of 1.4 billion, making Sikhs of the diaspora a minority not only in the countries they immigrated to, but a minority in their own home nation to begin with. What does it look like to have one’s needs, one’s faith, one’s identity constantly pushed to the back or silenced in favor of the majority?

Pardafash is an exploration of one small but mighty group’s plea to be heard, to have their history written into mainstream textbooks in all nations, to erase propaganda that is convenient to use when Sikhs are advocating for their rights, to be able to live in their homeland in peace without fear of speaking up. Under the cover of art, Kiran Rai, Baljit Singh, Ravina Toor, Sundeep Morrison, Babneet Lakhesar, Raji Aujla, Navpreet Singh, Kanwardeep Kaur, Uday Vir Singh, Sunroop Kaur, and curator Ravjot Mehek Singh are able to fearlessly speak their truth out loud without having to say a word of their own. 

https://homegrown.co.in/homegrown-voices/attend-an-exhibition-capturing-the-trauma-resilience-of-global-sikh-communities

https://www.roccitymag.com/arts-entertainment/pardafash-art-show-amplifies-sikh-identity-and-trauma-16551651

https://www.anokhilife.com/community-spotlight-pardafash-reveals-sikh-community-experiences-in-stunning-new-exhibit/

https://upmag.com/press-release-pardafash-to-reveal-the-truth-art-from-the-sikh-perspective/

https://www.sikhnet.com/news/pardafash-art-exhibit