The Kshetra Collective is a creative collective of diverse multimedia New Zealand artists of Indian heritage.[1] The collective is made up of Tiffany Singh, Shruti Yatri, Mandrika Rupa, Jacob Rajan, Rafik Patel, Sarah Dutt and Mandy Rupa-Reid.[2] The collective formed and held their first exhibition in 2022.[3] Artists in the Kshetra Collective span disciplines of painting, dance, film, theatre, installation, architecture and spatial design.[4][5]
| Formation | 2022 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | New Zealand |
The growing collective aims to showcase a diverse range of experiences, stories and identities of New Zealand Indians, not dictated by a specific group, language or religion to express the Indian diasporic experience.[6][7] The collective have taken part in Diwali celebrations involving the community at Auckland Art Gallery.[8]
The name Kshetra is Sanskrit, meaning sacred or hallowed ground.[6]
Members
edit- Tiffany Singh (installation)
- Shruti Yatri (painting)
- Mandrika Rupa (film)
- Jacob Rajan (theatre)
- Rafik Patel (spatial design)
- Sarah Dutt (painting & rangoli)
- Mandy Rupa-Reid (dance)
Exhibitions
editA Place to Stand
editThe Kshetra Collective curated their first exhibition, A Place to Stand, at the Te Taunga Community Hub at Tāmaki Paenga Hira, Auckland War Memorial Museum, which opened on 15th May 2022.[3] This was the first ever exhibition of contemporary New Zealand Indian art in New Zealand.[4] The exhibition explores the question, what is contemporary New Zealand Indian art?[6][9] Public programming alongside the exhibition included an artist panel discussion, an interactive rangoli activation and classical dance activations.[6]
Invisible Narratives
editThe exhibition Invisible Narratives: Contemporary Indian Creatives in Aotearoa, was held at New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata in Wellington from September to November 2023.[10] This exhibition explores the South Pacific Indian diaspora through telling migrant stories and challenging prejudices.[11] This exhibition was funded through a grant from Creative New Zealand.[12]
References
edit- ^ "A Place To Stand". Tiffany Singh Artist. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ^ "Indian art collective breaks down barriers in NZ's art scene". RNZ. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ a b "A Place To Stand: Contemporary Indian Art in Aotearoa". aucklandmuseum.com.
- ^ a b Te Taunga: A Place To Stand Webinar - Auckland Museum, retrieved 15 January 2024
- ^ Pardoe, Sharron. "Wellington's weekend culture calendar". www.thepost.co.nz. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d The Kshetra Collective. "A Place to Stand" (PDF). aucklandmuseum.com.
- ^ "New Zealand Portrait Gallery: Invisible Narratives - Contemporary Indian Creatives from Aotearoa". tockify.com. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ "Diwali Celebrations". publicnow.com. 11 November 2023.
- ^ Lopesi, Lana. "Metro — Metro Arts — Tuesday 24 May". www.metromag.co.nz. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ "Invisible Narratives: Contemporary Indian Creatives from Aotearoa". New Zealand Portrait Gallery. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ^ "Invisible Narratives: Contemporary Indian Creatives in Aotearoa". mutualart.com. 16 January 2024.
- ^ "$5m Arts Grants Recipients Revealed". thebigidea.nz.