Jagdeep Raina | In The Fields

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Jagdeep Raina, “Black Widow Spider,” 2023

glazed ceramic (courtesy of the artist and Cooper Cole Toronto) (Photo by Angela Chen)

Fall Opening and Artist in Conversation: Saturday, Sep 21 | 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

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

This exhibition marks a significant moment in the geographical, cultural, and political landscape in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland. Inspired by archival images and interviews by media artist Craig Berggold and filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, in addition to his own interviews with union organizers, Raina examines the history of the 1970s and 1980s farmworker movements. 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. A stop motion animation positions these historic labour movements against the current backdrop of the Lower Mainland. His black-and-white drawings borrow from Berggold’s archival photographs taken 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. One quilt features a poem that Raina wrote that tells the story of a female farmworker. The poem highlights 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.