Loss of Sikh culture defines Destroyer, Art Gallery of Burlington's new exhibition

The Art Gallery of Burlington is home to a new collection from Guelph-born artist Jagdeep Raini titled Destroyer.

The scene is made up from a collection of poetry, tapestries, ceramics and more and is inspired by Dal Lake, once a popular tourism spot in Srinagar, India. The lake is home to a variety of colourful houseboats built by the British Empire during colonial India and was turned into luxury hotels when India gained its independence, though the tourism industry in the region collapsed after the Kashmir Conflict in 1989. Many of the once-beautiful houseboats now lie in ruin and disrepair, greatly affecting the surrounding communities both culturally and economically.

Destroyer shows how the loss of culture and industry in the region affected Sikh communities and cultural identities.

“Through this exhibition, I aim to unravel the complex layers of history, displacement, and resilience woven within the fabric of Dal Lake,” Raina said. “Destroyer serves as a lens to examine the interplay between colonial legacies and contemporary realities, urging viewers to contemplate the multifaceted narratives embedded within Sikh communities worldwide.”

Raina hopes visitors will consider the long-term results of colonialism with this piece and how it has affected people for generations, and to see how we can move forward from a difficult history.

The exhibition runs until June 23 in the Perry Gallery of the Art Gallery of Burlington.