Thursday Artist Talk: Taslim Samji, "Journeys through Storytelling"

Taslim Samji will share how she was inspired to start curating exhibitions, how her practice has evolved over the years, and the challenges she has had to overcome to bring them to fruition. Afterwards, artist Mehb Rahmetulla and Dr. Galib Bhayani who were featured in Samji’s Kampala to Canada exhibit at the Gallery in 2023–2024 will join her for a panel discussion moderated by Gallery curator of Adult Programs Sameena Siddiqui. Participants will learn about their Ugandan Canadian resilient journeys through their art.

This talk will engage artists and anyone who is interested in the history of the Ugandan Asian exodus and subsequent immigrant experiences in Canada.

About Taslim Samji

Taslim Samji is a Burnaby-based artist known for curating thought-provoking exhibitions that showcase the stories of immigrants in response to anti-Muslim racism and xenophobia. She completed her BA at the University of British Columbia where she majored in Asian Studies and studied art at Emily Carr University. In 2017, Samji received an international award—Women of the Decade in Arts and Leadership—presented by the Women Economic Forum, a global conference platform with over 150 chapters. Samji’s recent publication, Kampala to Canada, shares the untold stories of twelve Ugandan Asian Canadians and explores immigration experiences through art.

About Mehb Rahemtulla

Mehb Rahemtulla was born in Kampala, Uganda. He was fifteen years old when the dictator Amin issued the expulsion of all Asians from Uganda. He, along with his grandmother and three aunts, were stripped of their birth certificates and citizenship, making them stateless. They were on the last flight leaving Uganda, hours before the deadline. They were stationed in a small Austrian town. There, Rahemtulla discovered his passion for the arts. In 1973, their visas arrived, and the family immigrated to Winnipeg, Canada. In 1974, Mehb graduated with a BFA (Honours) from the University of Manitoba. He then moved to Toronto. After eighteen years there, he settled in Vancouver.

About Dr. Galib Bhayani

Dr. Galib Bhayani was born in Mbale, Uganda, and he arrived as a refugee in Canada with his family in 1972. He was five years old. After thirty years of policing, Dr. Bhayani retired from his last post as Operations Officer for the Lower Mainland District RCMP, overseeing thirteen RCMP detachments. He taught at Kwantlen Polytechnic University for fourteen years before accepting a position at Simon Fraser University as Chief Safety and Risk Officer. He served as a UN Regional Security Chief in Sudan and pioneered policing initiatives in Baghdad, Iraq. In 2015, he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, the highest award for police in Canada.

About Surrey Art Gallery Association

Surrey Art Gallery Association (SAGA) is a non-profit society that offers its members the opportunity to participate in and respond to contemporary art and be part of a community that actively supports Surrey Art Gallery.