Jagdeep Raina: Ghosts In The Fields

This exhibition marks a significant moment in the geographical, cultural, and political landscape in the Lower Mainland. Inspired by archival images and interviews by media artist Craig Berggold and filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, Raina examines the history of the 1970s and 1980s farmworker movements, where migrant workers and union organizers from the Canadian Farmworkers Union protested wage theft, long hours, and exploitative working and living conditions endured by racialized farmworkers on farms and in greenhouses.

Raina’s research materialized into a visual narrative depicting the generational experiences of South Asian farmworkers. This narrative is intensely captured in black-and-white drawings influenced by archival photographs taken by Berggold in the 1980s. What initially appear as idyllic scenes of farmworkers labouring in fields, reveal a fiery red ghost-like figure that disrupts the monochromatic composition. This figure symbolizes violence, exploitation, trauma, and loss experienced by the farmworkers. The drawings serve as ghostly reminders of past lived experiences while also reminding us of the ongoing farmworker movements in India since 2020.

Hand-stitched quilts further share the history of various farming activities, protests, and the pivotal role of women in the labour movement to unionize farmworkers. Women are depicted marching and protesting, with one quilt featuring the words of a female farmworker highlighting the dangers faced by women in agricultural work. Another quilt translates these words into Gurmukhi and incorporates Phulkari, a traditional Punjabi embroidery celebrated for its intricate geometric designs.

Raina also touches upon the warning signs of climate change. Warmer and drier conditions are impacting the land, people, and animals that make up the fragile ecosystem of the Fraser Valley. Ceramic works like Black Widow Spider and Ocean Sunfish epitomize these changes, as well as the invasive species that disrupt the natural environment.

Jagdeep Raina: Ghost In The Fields shares the experiences of the Punjabi diaspora and transnational migration, presenting a living history of farmworkers, unionization, and protests.

We are piloting small group afternoon tours in English on Tuesdays and Punjabi on Thursdays. If you are interested in attending, please contact artgallery@surrey.ca.

Join us for the opening reception on September 21. 

About the artist

Jagdeep Raina has an interdisciplinary practice that spans textile, drawing, writing, ceramics, 35mm film and video animation. He uses the archive to explore historical memory. Raina’s multimedia practice seeks to identify the residue left behind by the human touch and its restorative potential. With an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, Raina has been a 2021 Paul Mellon Fellow at Yale University, as well as a previous Fellow of the Core Program at Museum of Fine Arts Houston. He was a recipient of the 2020 Sobey Art Award and his works have been exhibited internationally. Originally from Guelph, Ontario, Raina currently lives and works in Queens, New York.

Curators: Suvi Bains and Jas Lally
Origin of exhibition: Surrey Art Gallery
Community partner: Indian Summer Festival