Girl Gaze
Journey Through The Punjab &
The Black Country, UK
Mar 09 to18, 2018,
Gallery, Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi,
Chandigarh / In collaboration with
The Creative Black Country, UK
Jocelyn Allen / UK
Jennifer Pattison / UK
Andrea Fernandes / India
Uzma Mohsin / India
Iona Fergusson – Curator / UK
Four women artists, two from India and
two from the UK, explored the unique
connection between women of Punjab
and women of the Black Country in images
that were not bound by any boundaries,
as the narratives in photographs,
broke many barriers and stereotypes.
‘Girl Gaze: Journeys Through the Punjab
& The Black Country, UK’, was a unique
photographic exploration of the Punjab
and diaspora communities in the West
Midlands through the voices of young
girls and women. Bringing together
newly – commissioned works by Jocelyn
Allen, Jennifer Pattison from the UK and
Andrea Fernandes and Uzma Mohsin from
India, the exhibition explored diverse
themes regarding gender, identity, patriarchy,
tradition, culture, memory, place,
belonging and differences that shape the
lives of women in both countries today.
Presented by the Punjab Lalit Kala
Akademi and Creative Black Country here
in Chandigarh, the photography project
was part of Arts Council England and
British Council funded and supported
initiative called Re-Imagine India. The
Black Country boasts one of the largest
Punjabi diaspora outside of India and
since their arrival in the 1940s they have
created a unique identity in the area, redefining
the cultural, economic and social
landscape. Working in partnership with
Multistory (UK) and Nazar Foundation
(New Delhi), Creative Black Country saw
an opportunity to celebrate exceptional
contribution made by the Punjabi diaspora
in the West Midlands by commissioning
four women photographers to create
compelling stories about women’s lives
and their cultural roots in the Punjab.
The artists travelled from Wolverhampton
and Walsall to West Bromwich, and from
Jalandhar, Amritsar to Patiala and were
invited by women across generations
to experience the routines, joys and
challenges of their daily lives. Using still
photography, video, poetry, text and 3-d
installations the photographers paint a
layered picture of life for women in the
Punjab and the Black Country, looking at
migration, identity, assimilation into different
cultures, bonds of love and friendship…
The project, according to Parminder
Dosanjh Director of Creative Black Country,
fostered debate and offered a platform
to re-imagine relations between the
Punjab and the UK in the 21st century.
Images of the Exhibition:
