“I like to exhibit a positive side of migration and dispel stereotypical myths about South Asians,” Rodrigues told New India Abroad.
Award-winning Indian-born photographer Hermann Rodrigues has spent the past 35 years documenting the lives, journeys, and evolving identities of Scotland’s South Asian communities.
Now, that decades-long body of work comes together in Broon Scots: Snapshots of Scotland’s South Asian Diaspora, an exhibition on view at the North Edinburgh Arts Centre from Aug. 6-29.
In an interview with New India Abroad, the Edinburgh-based photographer reflected on the inspiration behind the project, the changing face of Scotland’s South Asian communities, and the legacy he hopes the exhibition will leave for future generations.
When Hermann Rodrigues, a photographer who grew up in Jaipur and now lives in Edinburgh, had the idea of photographing some of Scotland‘s South Asian community, he wanted his pictures to pack a punch. He chose Samera Ashraf, an award winning Pakistani kick boxer-cum-comedian as his first subject for his exhibition which he has named “Broon Scots”.
Mr. Rodrigues, 52, moved to Scotland in 1990 to join his wife who was studying at the University of Edinburgh at the time and one of the first things he noticed was the country’s strong South Asian community.
In an exclusive interview with DESIblitz, the acclaimed artist Hermann Rodrigues discusses his photography career and much more.
Hermann Rodrigues is a beacon of representation and talent in the realm of photography.
Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Hermann is a documentary and travel photographer.
In a prolific career, he has recorded important aspects including community history, immigration, professions, and historical buildings.
Hermann Rodrigues has an ingrained passion for South Asian representation, which includes Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, and Bengali groups.
In 2024, he was awarded ‘Asian Photographer of the Year’ by the Eastern Eye and Eastern Media Group in London.
With a goal towards expressing the South Asian culture of Scotland, Hermann has highlighted representation through his art in a refined manner.
In our exclusive interview, Hermann Rodrigues delved into his penchant for photography, the Scottish representation of South Asians and more.
What inspired you to be a photographer?
I have always been attracted to the camera. Carrying the camera everywhere has been second nature to me since my childhood.
All my pocket money as a child was spent on rolls of film and getting prints of the photos.
My main subjects were my family, cousins and extended family. And boy, did I have a large family!
To me, it still is the best tool to record and convey positivity, beauty and and of course, the heartwarming stories of the South Asian community in Scotland.
When I first arrived here in Scotland in 1990, the South Asian community was quite small and in distinct pockets around the country.
In the early 1990s, I used to find it surprising that we were all called Asians, but most people did not know that that meant a land mass the size of Europe, with varied and different cultures, religions, and languages.
I found the banner of Asians quite restricting, and I decided to use my camera to show the differences within the communities.
I went to every gathering, be it Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Pakistani, Indian or Bangladeshi.
I also travelled to different parts of Scotland. You have to remember those were pre internet days and you travelled anywhere without any information whatsoever.
I went to Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides, which had about 40 people of Pakistani origin who spoke Gaelic and had made their home since the 1950s. Their stories fascinated me.
It took me a while to be accepted because these communities were not photographed as frequently before.
But once they realised that I stood for only positive stories, I was welcomed well.
Do you feel South Asians from Scotland are represented enough? If not, what more can be done to improve this?
I think South Asians have come a very long way. In the 1940s and 1950s, most migrants were for labour and were economic migrants.
They worked extremely hard to establish themselves.
In the 1980s and 1990s, it was stereotypical for South Asians to be bus drivers, corner shop owners and curry house owners, barring a few in medicine and academia.
But lately, with the requirement of people from South Asia in the IT Sector and the Medical Sector, the community has changed drastically.
The new community comes with good pay packages and are in position to enjoy Scotland in far better ways than the previous communities did.
What is it about Scotland that South Asians can enjoy? Is there anything specific you would recommend?
Like South Asia, Scotland is also rich in colour, heritage, passion for life and traditions, which South Asians are quick to pick up and make their own.
I discovered that quite a few Scottish Tartans were owned by the Sikhs, for example, who consider their Scottishness as a matter of immense pride.
They embrace and celebrate the cultural side of Scotland alongside their own rich culture.
In terms of natural beauty, Scotland has amazing destinations to explore. Castles, Nature walks, hill climbing, history – Scotland has amazing things to offer.
Through photography, I have not only enjoyed capturing South Asians but also fascinating connections between India and Scotland.
For example their is a town called Patna here in Ayrshire which is named after Patna in Bihar, East India.
There is an area called Vellore near Falkirk named after Vellore in Tamil Nadu.
You can harp about the negatives of the British Raj as much as you like, but as a photographer, I find these connections fascinating.
What does travelling give you as a creative person and would you recommend it to others?
My biggest passion has been to photograph and document the South Asians of Scotland. I travel everywhere in Scotland.
I am too focused and single-minded on this project. Travelling expands your mind. Creative people see life differently.
When you travel, soak in all the sights and sounds of a new destination with your unique perspective.
What advice would you give to other Desi people who wish to pursue photography?
I think there are two sides to photography if you were to make it a profession.
One is to earn your bread and butter with photography. Which is to do weddings, photoshoots, etc.
The other is to capture things they really are fascinated with. It could be wildlife, birds, or anything that pleases their being.
Photographers also have a mission as artists, and it is to discover what their mission is and continue pursuing it.
Ideally, I would love to visit countries like Fiji and Guyana to photograph the descendants of indentured labourers from India.
I would also like to put my work in an archive for it to be accessible because it is a good record of migration spread over 35 years or so.
Hermann Rodrigues is a connoisseur of photography with an original lens into the world.
His words about representation are as essential as they are inspiring.
Hermann’s work gives birth to a vast, unique, and exciting landscape.
Anyone looking to pursue photography should unquestionably explore Hermann’s art.
His achievements in photography will set them on the right path.
Through Kindred Eyes is an expression of the cultural links between Scotland and India through work by two South Asian artists living in Edinburgh.
Amaranthine is a selection of oil paintings by Vibha Pankaj, a contemporary landscape artist who has lived in Edinburgh for 27 years. Her paintings are an amalgamation of memories from the past and observations of natural beauty from her treks in the Scottish hills. Her art navigates her deep-rooted connection with nature and its offer of hope, comfort, freedom and unconditional friendship. She uses colour and texture to evoke a sense of longing and belonging. Each canvas is an imagined visual story, inviting viewers into a contemplative space where memory and landscape dissolve into a feeling of joy and reflection.
Broon Scots is led by documentary photographer Hermann Rodrigues and curated by Puravi Kumar. Since the 1990s, the collection has amassed thousands of images and stories of South Asians in Scotland, namely the Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani communities. Through Kindred Eyes includes selections from the collection’s major themes: Portraits, Gatherings and Monuments, along with a series titled Restaurants. Rodrigues’s passion has constructed windows into the varied lives, cultures, events and the everyday to break through stereotypes and celebrate a growing part of Scottish society.
Vibha Pankaj’s paintings and Rodrigues’ photographs share a kindred approach in their use of colour and in exploring their intertwined Scottish-Asian heritage. The exhibition accompanies the unveiling of a bust of poet Rabindranath Tagore directly outside the exhibition space in Sandeman House Garden.
One of photographer Hermann Rodrigues’ favourite jokes is about how the Tamil English accent comes from Scotland. “Just think about the way Tamilians pronounce mah-rige (marriage) or roll the word girl-uh (girl) — it sounds so Scottish!” he says, laughing. There are many more connections between South Asia and Scotland — apart from the shared love of Scotch, of course.
Over the last 23 years, Rodrigues and his camera have travelled across Scotland in search of these “crossovers” – interchanges between South Asians and Scots. He will be showing his work in an exhibition titled ‘Broon Scots’ at the University of Edinburgh this month. The 52-year-old Rodrigues, who was born and educated in Jaipur, moved to Scotland over two decades ago with his wife. “When I first came here, I was amazed by the number of South Asians here. But despite so many differences – of religion, culture, etc, – they were being put under the same umbrella of ‘ Asians’.” His endeavour is to bridge the gap between what the Scots know about South Asians and what South Asians know about each other and their roots. “When I visited Patna in East Ayrshire, I was surprised to learn its residents had no idea about the origin of its name,” he says of the small village named in the early 19th century by landowner William Fullarton after his birthplace in Bihar.
He’s made several serendipitous discoveries over the years – a secondary school in St Andrews called Madras College founded in 1833 by Andrew Bell, a Scottish Episcopalian priest who pioneered the Madras System of Education. “Not many know the monitorial system of education (brighter or older students tutoring others) has its origins in Tamil Nadu,” says Rodrigues. Then there’s the Fyrish monument, built by a British general of Scottish origin, Hector Munro. In 1781, Munro captured Negapatam, a Dutch outpost in Tamil Nadu, for the British who were battling France (a US ally) in the American Revolutionary War. “Munro commissioned this monument inspired by Negapatam gate to generate work for the locals,” says Rodrigues of the stone structure that stands atop Fyrish Hill near Alness, Easter Ross. His dogged pursuit of South Asian history led Rodrigues on a five-hour ferry journey to the Western Isles in Scotland where he found, among a Gaelic-speaking community of 5,000 inhabitants, descendants of immigrants from what is today Pakistan. “Can you imagine the courage it took for them to travel across the ‘kala paani’ over 70 years ago, to this cold, rough place to sell woollens?” he asks.
Other revelations include a Vellore Road in Falkirk town. “The Christian Medical College in Vellore, TN, was founded by the Scots. The constant stream of missionaries and educationists travelling between both countries explains why so many streets, buildings here have Indian names,” he says. His photos also capture how the immigrants have embraced Scottish culture while retaining their roots. At traditional weddings, for instance, attendees often sport kilts, dance to bagpipes and enjoy tandoori salmon on the menu. There is even a ‘Singh’ tartan -sky-blue background with a green and red plaid – that can be worn by any Asian of Scottish descent. Cultural outreach through melas and public celebrations is also a growing phenomenon.”Holi has been brought in by the student community
Rodrigues captures an Indian on his way to Dussehra celebrations in Edinburgh. Although South Asians are Scotland’s largest minority (2.7% are Asian, Scottish-Asian or British-Asian, according to the 2011 census), there are no signs of ethnic tensions like in England. “It could be because the immigrant community is not very large and seen as less threatening,” says Rodrigues. Even the term ‘ Broon’ -a colloquial Scottish word for brown -is not derogatory, he says.
Edinburgh-based documentary and travel photographer, Hermann Rodrigues has recorded community history, new immigration, religions, professions, activities, historical buildings – and the Sikh Scottish tartan. Rodrigues is a photographer with a deep passion for the camera and the Asian community in Scotland, highlighting the diversity of South Asian lifestyles and cultures in Scotland from Dumfries to Stornoway in the Western Isles.
Rodrigues sees his work as having two interlocking purposes: firstly to express the ‘colour and vibrancy of the Asian community’ and secondly to highlight how they have imbibed themselves in Scottish culture. His vast collection of over 50,000 photographs give a glimpse of these cross-connections and are a celebration of this diversity. He continues to collect stories highlighting and celebrating the diversity of the South Asian community of Scotland.
Hermann’s work has been exhibited in many galleries including the Commonwealth Institute in London, the National Museums of Scotland, the National Libraries of Scotland and has also been featured in many pub- lications including The Times of India, the BBC and the Wall Street Journal and in a joint publication of photos and poems on migration and diaspora with Bashabi Fraser in Ragas & Reels (Edinburgh: Luath Press, 2012).
Hermann Rodrigues
Hermann Rodrigues is a photographer with a deep passion for the camera and the Asian community in Scotland.
When Hermann Rodrigues, a photographer who grew up in Jaipur and now lives in Edinburgh, had the idea of photographing some of Scotland‘s South Asian community, he wanted his pictures to pack a punch. He chose Samera Ashraf, an award winning Pakistani kick boxer-cum-comedian as his first subject for his exhibition which he has named “Broon Scots”.
Mr. Rodrigues, 52, moved to Scotland in 1990 to join his wife who was studying at the University of Edinburgh at the time and one of the first things he noticed was the country’s strong South Asian community.
In an exclusive interview with DESIblitz, the acclaimed artist Hermann Rodrigues discusses his photography career and much more.
Hermann Rodrigues is a beacon of representation and talent in the realm of photography.
Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Hermann is a documentary and travel photographer.
In a prolific career, he has recorded important aspects including community history, immigration, professions, and historical buildings.
Hermann Rodrigues has an ingrained passion for South Asian representation, which includes Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, and Bengali groups.
In 2024, he was awarded ‘Asian Photographer of the Year’ by the Eastern Eye and Eastern Media Group in London.
With a goal towards expressing the South Asian culture of Scotland, Hermann has highlighted representation through his art in a refined manner.
In our exclusive interview, Hermann Rodrigues delved into his penchant for photography, the Scottish representation of South Asians and more
What inspired you to be a photographer?
I have always been attracted to the camera. Carrying the camera everywhere has been second nature to me since my childhood.
All my pocket money as a child was spent on rolls of film and getting prints of the photos.
My main subjects were my family, cousins and extended family. And boy, did I have a large family!
To me, it still is the best tool to record and convey positivity, beauty and and of course, the heartwarming stories of the South Asian community in Scotland.
What was it about Scotland that you felt you needed to capture through your camera?
When I first arrived here in Scotland in 1990, the South Asian community was quite small and in distinct pockets around the country.
In the early 1990s, I used to find it surprising that we were all called Asians, but most people did not know that that meant a land mass the size of Europe, with varied and different cultures, religions, and languages.
I found the banner of Asians quite restricting, and I decided to use my camera to show the differences within the communities.
I went to every gathering, be it Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Pakistani, Indian or Bangladeshi.
I also travelled to different parts of Scotland. You have to remember those were pre internet days and you travelled anywhere without any information whatsoever.
I went to Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides, which had about 40 people of Pakistani origin who spoke Gaelic and had made their home since the 1950s. Their stories fascinated me.
It took me a while to be accepted because these communities were not photographed as frequently before.
But once they realised that I stood for only positive stories, I was welcomed well.
Do you feel South Asians from Scotland are represented enough? If not, what more can be done to improve this?
I think South Asians have come a very long way. In the 1940s and 1950s, most migrants were for labour and were economic migrants.
They worked extremely hard to establish themselves.
In the 1980s and 1990s, it was stereotypical for South Asians to be bus drivers, corner shop owners and curry house owners, barring a few in medicine and academia.
But lately, with the requirement of people from South Asia in the IT Sector and the Medical Sector, the community has changed drastically.
The new community comes with good pay packages and are in position to enjoy Scotland in far better ways than the previous communities did.
What is it about Scotland that South Asians can enjoy? Is there anything specific you would recommend?
Like South Asia, Scotland is also rich in colour, heritage, passion for life and traditions, which South Asians are quick to pick up and make their own.
I discovered that quite a few Scottish Tartans were owned by the Sikhs, for example, who consider their Scottishness as a matter of immense pride.
In terms of natural beauty, Scotland has amazing destinations to explore. Castles, Nature walks, hill climbing, history – Scotland has amazing things to offer.
Through photography, I have not only enjoyed capturing South Asians but also fascinating connections between India and Scotland.
For example their is a town called Patna here in Ayrshire which is named after Patna in Bihar, East India.
There is an area called Vellore near Falkirk named after Vellore in Tamil Nadu.
You can harp about the negatives of the British Raj as much as you like, but as a photographer, I find these connections fascinating.
What does travelling give you as a creative person and would you recommend it to others?
My biggest passion has been to photograph and document the South Asians of Scotland. I travel everywhere in Scotland.
I am too focused and single-minded on this project. Travelling expands your mind. Creative people see life differently.
When you travel, soak in all the sights and sounds of a new destination with your unique perspective.
What advice would you give to other Desi people who wish to pursue photography?
I think there are two sides to photography if you were to make it a profession.
One is to earn your bread and butter with photography. Which is to do weddings, photoshoots, etc.
The other is to capture things they really are fascinated with. It could be wildlife, birds, or anything that pleases their being.
Photographers also have a mission as artists, and it is to discover what their mission is and continue pursuing it.
Ideally, I would love to visit countries like Fiji and Guyana to photograph the descendants of indentured labourers from India.
I would also like to put my work in an archive for it to be accessible because it is a good record of migration spread over 35 years or so.
Hermann Rodrigues is a connoisseur of photography with an original lens into the world.
His words about representation are as essential as they are inspiring.
Hermann’s work gives birth to a vast, unique, and exciting landscape.
Anyone looking to pursue photography should unquestionably explore Hermann’s art.
His achievements in photography will set them on the right path.
See more pictures taken by Hermann Rodrigues in our special gallery:
ACTA ceremony recognises established and up-and-coming talented Asians
SOME of the brightest talents from the British Asian community were recognised for their achievements in the arts at the annual Eastern Eye Arts, Culture and Theatre Awards (ACTAs) at the Mayfair Hotel in central London last Friday (17).
One of Britain’s most accomplished and versatile artists, Osman Yousefzada, won the Eastern Eye Award for Arts for his exhibition, Welcome! A Palazzo for Immigrants, which is now showing at the Venice Biennale.
The exhibition aims to break negative narratives about migrants. Mounted as a solo show in partnership with the Victoria & Albert Museum, it includes handcrafted textile works, prints, images and sculptures, illustrating the artist’s versatility and powerful imagination.
Yousefzada paid tribute to his family for inspiring him to become an artist. “I come from a family of makers – a cast of carpenters. They all made stuff,” he said.
A total of 21 awards were handed out at the glittering ceremony attended by leading figures from across the arts, including theatre, TV, film, radio and music.
The chief guest, Claire Coutinho, secretary of state for energy security and net zero, paid tribute to the artists in attendance, who she said contributed to bringing communities together.
“Our national life would be so much poorer were it not for the contribution made by the people in this room,” she said.
“It is shared cultural experience through television, theatre and music, but also in our everyday lives that makes us feel rooted in our communities and in our country. It is something I feel very passionate about because, without those shared cultural touch points in common references, it would be that much harder to understand each other and find common ground.
“I know that Eastern Eye has a proud history of fighting prejudice and discrimination. It is through events like tonight, recognising the amazing talent in the Asian community, that we can strengthen these cultural ties and also open up opportunities for people and ultimately lead to greater understanding across society.”
Three of the most high-profile awards of the evening went to inspiring women breaking new boundaries in the sector.
Indhu Rubasingham, who takes over as the artistic director and joint CEO at the National Theatre next year, took home the award for outstanding contribution to the creative industry.
The recognition made it a hat-trick of ACTAs for Rubasingham after she was named best director for White Teeth in 2019. Last year, she won the best director ACTA for a second time, for The Father and theAssassin, which was staged twice at the National Theatre.
Playwright Tanika Gupta will team up with actress Meera Syal for A Tupperware of Ashes at the National Theatre in September. They both picked up ACTAs, with Gupta claiming the trailblazer award for a 30-year career in theatre and TV, while Syal was recognised for her hit series, Mrs Sindhu Investigates, as she was named best actress in a film, TV or drama.
Meneka Das collected the best director award for Gupta’s critically-acclaimed play, A Doll’s House, which was performed at the Questor’s Theatre in Ealing, west London, earlier this year.
A Doll’s House was described by the awards judges as “subtle and transfixing, leaving many audience members stunned and awed by the whole production”.
Set in Calcutta [now Kolkata] in 1879, Gupta and Das reimagined Ibsen’s classic play of gender politics and the themes of ownership and race through the lens of British colonialism, offering a female perspective of the experiences of Indian women married to Englishmen.
“Being born in India and then (having) lived here (UK) gave me that confidence to step up and bring my own original take on Tanika’s story and her adaptation of the play,” said Das.
“It was exciting, because I had an amazing set of actors who were willing to go with me where the story took us.”
Accomplished actor Bhasker Patel was recognised for playing Rishi Sharma in Emmerdale for 12 years, as he took home the best actor award in the film, TV and drama category.
Rising star Lucca Chadwick-Patel won the award for best actor, theatre, for his lead performance as Omar in Hanif Kureishi’s My Beautiful Laundrette at The Lowry in Manchester.
“My Beautiful Laundrette is a beautiful story about love and acceptance,” said Chadwick-Patel. “We took it across the north mainly, which is my home, which was just amazing.”
The best actress, theatre, award went to Aysha Kala for her performance in the Sam Mendes-directed The Motive and The Cue at the National Theatre.
The plays tells the story of the rivalry and friendship between two of the great British actors of their day – Sir John Gielgud directing Richard Burton in an experimental new interpretation of the classic Shakespeare play, Hamlet.
Kala played Jessica Levy – an assistant to Sir John, in a critically acclaimed performance. She also starred last year as Vimla in the memorable The Father and the Assassin.
“I had such an incredible time on both The Motive and the Cue and The Father and the Assassin working with two outstanding companies,” she said.
“Thank you to the National Theatre and to Sam and Indhu (Rubasingham) for having me on board.”
Shomit Dutta was named best scriptwriter for his play Stumped, which premiered last year and had a popular run at the Hampstead Theatre in London.
Stumped was about a cricket match and an imaginary conversation between two great writers – playwright Sir Harold Pinter, and novelist and dramatist Samuel Beckett.
Dutta revealed that the Covid pandemic was the catalyst for the play.
“The idea came from being stuck at home. I used to go to Hackney Marshes and there’s a cricket ground, there’s nets, but nothing else. And it was very near where Harold Pinter lived. I’ve always loved their work and I thought what about putting them somewhere where they are together,” he said.
The Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s Bhangra Nation collected the best production award.
Powered by the music of British bhangra icon Kuljit Bhamra, this was a north American show that got a British makeover earlier this year and proved a hit with both audiences and critics.
Written by Rehana Mirza and her husband Mike Lew, it tells the immigrant story through music, with two students on a journey of discovery as they enter the national university dance competition.
Renowned artist Najma Akhtar was the winner of the Music Award for her album Five Rivers. Known for being influenced by ghazals, jazz and Sufi music, Akhtar said she was inspired by “spirituality, improvisation, magic, peace, love, poetry”.
The Dance Award went to Jaivant Patel for Waltzing the Blue Gods. Based on Indian mythology, spirituality and imagination that allows for a conversation which centres around LGBTQIA+ (plus) narratives, it leads to the marginalised to be seen, heard and embraced.
Hermann Rodrigues took home the Photography Award for amassing more than 400,000 photographs after becoming fascinated with Asian culture in Scotland. His work has been on display at the Commonwealth Institute in London, the National Museums of Scotland and the National Libraries of Scotland.
Author and broadcaster Kavita Puri who explored Partition through her book and BBC radio series of the same name, Partition Voices:Untold British Stories, won the best presenter ACTA for her look at another tragic moment in British-Indian history – the Bengal Famine.
Her BBC radio series, Three Million, told the story of the three million Indian people under British colonial rule, who died in the famine during the Second World War.
The winner of the best documentary award, Defiance – Fighting the Far Right, revealed the struggles of British Asians to find a sense of belonging in the UK.
Sheela Banerjee’s book, What’s in a Name? won her the best non-fiction ACTA. She reflected on how the project started as a personal journey, but she quickly found that names contained narratives of their own, indicating often the cultural inheritance of the person and a commentary also on colonialism, legacy and migration.
The ACTA award for best fiction went to Tongues and Bellies from the Whole Kahani – a collective of British fiction writers of south Asian origin who came together in 2011 to provide a creative perspective of the Asian experience.
The group collaborates, hosts workshops and publish collectively.
The Whole Kahani has published three anthologies in all so far – Love Across a Broken Map in 2016; May We Borrow Your Country in 2019 and its latest is Tongues and Bellies.
“We wanted to be trailblazers and have a space where we could be free to write about anything we like,” The Whole Kahani co-founder, Kavita Jindal, said.
“We really mean anything in the world, anyone from any country, not just ourselves. In fact, behind us, there are many other collectives and people working together,” she added.
The inaugural Eastern Eye award for History went to professor Joya Chatterji for Shadows at Noon: The South Asian Twentieth Century.
Judges described the book as “a brilliant and authoritative history of the Indian subcontinent” that could be dubbed a “romantic history”, exploring culture, faith, food and customs in a way that has never really been done before.
The book rails against narratives of inherent differences between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and reveals the many things its people have in common.
Chatterji paid tribute to her aunt, her father’s widowed sister, who she described as a poetist and a Maoist.
“She was the most important influence on my life,” said Chatterji.
“She was a very curious and contradiction of characteristics. She wore the widow’s whites, she ate the widow’s diet. But she was a very ardent Naxal.
“My father went to school with the founders of Naxalism and these were all her friends. She was such an ardent Maoist. She travelled several times to China.
“I grew up on the tales of the Mahabharat, Jai Bhim and Naxalism. I thought it was perfectly normal to be a Naxal – this was just normal, everyday education. I didn’t think it was at all contradictory. I thought I’d put it into the book because its history is amazing.”
The Eastern Eye community engagement award went to the Royal Academy for Entangled Pasts 1768 to now – Art, Colonialism and Change.
The exhibition features 100 works from greats such as JMW Turner and Joshua Reynolds, and work from artists working in this century, including Bharti Parmar, Mohini Chandra, The Singh Twins, Yinka Shonibare, Lubaina Himid, and Hew Locke, among others.
The MK Gallery’s exhibition, Beyond the Page: South Asian Miniature Painting and Britain 1600 to Now received the Eastern Eye editor’s special award.
Curated by Anthony Spira and Hammad Nasar, the exhibition brought one of the widest collections of miniature south Asian work ever seen together.
It explored how the traditions of south Asian miniature paintings have been reclaimed and reinvented by contemporary artists, and taken forward from illustrated manuscripts to experimental forms that include installations, sculpture and film. Some the work had never been seen before in public.
The Eastern Eye ACTAs were sponsored by Arts Council England; Edwardian Hotels London; the Hinduja Foundation; Koolesh Shah Family Foundation; and Yusuf & Farida Hamied Foundatio
