Sarindar Dhaliwal facts for kids

Sarindar Dhaliwal, born in India in 1953, is a talented artist who uses many different types of art, like painting and video. She grew up in England and now lives in Toronto, Canada. Her art often tells stories about her life and experiences.

About Sarindar Dhaliwal

Sarindar Dhaliwal was born in Punjab, India. When she was four years old, her family moved to England. She grew up in a part of London called Southall. At age fifteen, her family moved again, this time to Canada. They settled on a farm near Brampton, Ontario.

It was hard for Sarindar to get used to life in a small town. She saved money to go back to London, where she stayed for a year. She then studied art at Falmouth University in England, earning a degree in sculpture in 1978. After that, she moved back to Canada, where she still lives.

She continued her studies, getting a master's degree from York University in Toronto in 2003. Later, she earned a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.

Sarindar Dhaliwal's Artworks

Sarindar Dhaliwal's art often tells stories. She explores ideas about where people come from and who they are. She uses many different art forms, like installations (art that fills a space), printmaking, collage, painting, and video.

Memories and Identity in Art

A lot of Sarindar's art is about memories, especially from her childhood. Her work shows what it's like to be a "global citizen," someone who has lived in many places. She looks at how memories, places, languages, colors, sports, and family connect. She also explores big topics like history, moving to new countries, and dealing with racism. Because of this, her art feels very personal but also speaks to everyone.

The Power of Color in Her Art

Sarindar loves color, and this love started when she was a child. She enjoyed reading colorful fairy tale books at the library.

• the green fairy story book (2010) is a book artwork that shows her love for color.
• Southall:Childplay (2009) is a large print that covers a wall. It features her own collection of colored pencils, which she used to play with as a child.
• In When I grow up I want to be a namer of paint colors (2010), she even gives fun names to colors, like "crushed raspberry" and "Indian summer."
• Her love for bright colors is also clear in 28 ambassador cars (2010), which shows glowing cars driving around text.

Sarindar's own experiences with racism made her appreciate color even more. For her, all colors are equal. In Corner Flags and Corner Shops (2013), she shows a moment of racism on a soccer field. She paints colorful butterflies on white paper to remind us that colors are natural, but racism is not.

Stories of Childhood and Migration

Her video art olive, almond and mustard (2010) shares a childhood memory. It shows her mother washing her long black hair with yogurt and oiling it in Britain. This artwork moves between India and Britain. It includes nursery rhymes, Bollywood music, English pop songs, and BBC news. This mix of sounds helps tell the story of her childhood as an immigrant in Great Britain.

History and Borders in Art

The cartographer's mistake: the Radcliffe Line (2012) is a print that uses marigold flowers to show the division of India. Marigolds usually mean welcome, but here they look like they are setting the country on fire. In 1947, a man named Cyril Radcliffe drew new borders to create India and Pakistan based on religion. Even today, people still talk about the difficulties caused by this division.

Art Exhibitions

Sarindar Dhaliwal's art has been shown in many places across Canada since the 1980s. Her work has been displayed in major art galleries, including The Edmonton Art Gallery and the Agnes Etherington Art Centre in Ontario.

Her exhibition called 'Record Keeping' traveled around Britain in 2004. It was shown at the John Hansard Gallery, Oriel Mostyn Gallery, and Canada House Gallery. Her art is also part of important collections, like the Canada Council Art Bank.

Recent Solo Exhibitions

Sarindar Dhaliwal has had many solo shows, where only her art is displayed.

• In 2013, she had shows at A Space Gallery in Toronto and the Surrey Art Gallery in British Columbia.
• In 2010, her work was shown at Gallerie Deste in Montreal.
• In 2012, she had a show at the Robert Langen Art Gallery in Waterloo.
• In November 2016, her work was part of the Yonder exhibit at the Koffler Art Gallery. This show focused on the experiences of immigrants in Canada.
• In 2023, the Art Gallery of Ontario held a special exhibition of her work called When I grow up I want to be a namer of paint colours.

List of Solo Exhibitions

• 1983 – Images de St. Pierre et Michelon, Le Centre Français, Kingston, Ontario
• 1984 – Des fruits et des triangles, Le Chambre Blance, Quebec City, Quebec
• 1985 – Recent Works, Kingston Public Library, Kingston, Ontario
• 1987 – St. Lawrence College Gallery, Kingston, Ontario
• 1989 – Laurentian University Museum and Arts Centre, Sudbury, Ontario
• 1989 – Art Noise, Kingston, Ontario
• 2004–2005 – Record Keeping, touring to John Hansard Gallery, Southampton UK, MOSTYN, Llandudno Wales, Canada House Gallery, London, UK, and Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston, Ontario
• 2012 – the Cartographer's mistake: Hockey Fields and Marigold Maps, Robert Langen Art Gallery, Waterloo, Ontario
• 2013 – the cartographer's mistake: Southall and other places, A Space Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
• 2013 – Sarindar Dhaliwal: Narratives from the Beyond, Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, British Columbia
• 2015–2016 - The Radcliffe Line and Other Geographies, touring to The Reach Gallery Museum, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, and Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
• 2023 – When I grow up I want to be a namer of paint colours, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto ON

List of Selected Group Exhibitions

• 1985 – Artforms, Kitchener-Waterloo Gallery, Kitchener, Ontario
• 1985 – Rodnam Hall Arts Centre, St. Catharines, Ontario
• 1985 – A Change in the Weather, K.A.A.I. Gallery, Kingston, Ontario (two-person show)
• 2011–2012 – Collected Resonance: Shelly Bhal, Sarindar Dhaliwal, Farheen HaQ, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia
• 2015 – Traversive Territories: Sarindar Dhaliwal, Soheila Esfahani, Colette Urban, Varley Art Gallery, Markham, Ontario
• 2016 – Yonder, Koffler Gallery, Toronto
• 2018 – India Contemporary Photographic and New Media Art, FotoFest 2018 Biennial (Asia Society Texas Center, Houston, Texas)
• 2018–2019 – Vision Exchange: Perspectives from India to Canada, touring to the Art Museum at the University of Toronto and the Winnipeg Art Gallery

Awards and Recognition

Sarindar Dhaliwal has received several awards for her artistic work.

• 1983 – Aprons (installation), MacDonald Park, Kingston, Ontario
• 1983 – Ministry of Culture Artist in the Community Award
• 1982, 1984 – Ontario Arts Council, Artist in the Schools Programme
• 1983–1986 – Ontario Arts Council, Materials Assistance Grant
• 1987 – Canada Council, Explorations Grant