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Sikh feminist exhibition coming to UFV

Photos, videos and scholarship to be featured at Abby campus
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A photo by UFV alumna Suvi Bains that will be on display at the exhibit.

A multimedia art exhibition about Sikh feminism opened on Sept. 29 at the University of the Fraser Valley. Using photos, videos and scholarship, the exhibition titled (Mis)Interpretation Sikh Feminisms in Representations, Texts, and Lived Realities will show various perspectives on Sikhism from women’s perspectives, and feminism through a Sikh lens.

“We hope to inspire some ‘Aha!’ moments and spark dialogue,” said Satwinder Bains, director of the UFV Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies. “Sikh feminist thought is a small field, and we want to contribute to it.”

The exhibition will include photographs and videos from Suvi Bains and Rishma Johal, two local artists, as well as daily life photography from eight local Sikh women.

Sharanjit Sandhra, coordinator of the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies, says this exhibition covers some very important topics.

“This show will reflect our norm, our lived reality,” said Sandhra. “Traditionally, most interpretations of the Sikh faith have been very male-centric…but the scriptures belong to all of us, and we have our own thoughts and feelings about how to live according to them.”

The exhibition takes place at the S’eliyemetaxwtexw Gallery in room Room B136 of UFV’s Abbotsford campus. It will run until Oct. 20.