Arts review: Tigers & Dragons: India and Wales in Britain

Irram Irshad

As a Welsh woman of Indian heritage, I was particularly looking forward to the new exhibition at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea. Called ‘Tigers and Dragons: India and Wales in Britain’, the exhibition opened on 23rd May with an art installation performance by renowned artist Nikhil Chopra from Goa.

The exhibition is curated by Dr Zehra Jumabhoy, a lecturer in the History of Art at the University of Bristol. She previously completed her doctorate on Indian art and nationalism at the world famous Courtauld Institute of Art in London. If you’re fans of BBC’s ‘Fake or Fortune?’, trust me, you know it too!

Having lectured in India, Pakistan and Singapore, it’s no surprise that Zehra is particularly interested in the social and political contexts of South Asian art, including its relationship to British Imperialism. That’s how this exhibition came about. It has been 5 years in the making and is truly astonishing.

Nations

‘Tigers and Dragons’ looks at how South Asian nations and Wales have imagined themselves, or been imagined, over the centuries. It questions that if India was the jewel in the Imperial Crown, does that make Wales England’s first colony? The exhibition looks at the continuing legacy of the British Empire for India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and its relevance for Welsh identity.

There is a misconception in Wales that Imperialism, invading other countries and wars is more of an ‘English’ issue, but Wales has always been involved in the dark past of the British Empire. One of the paintings of that time shows a Welsh soldier attacking Indians.

There are over 100 artworks in the exhibition from about 70 artists from Wales, England, India and Pakistan. Alongside paintings, photographs, performances, videos, textiles and sculptures, there are several items on loan from the National Museum Cardiff, National Library of Wales, National Trust’s Powis Castle and the Bristol Museum’s British empire and Commonwealth Collection.

Difficult subject

Powis Castle in mid-Wales is a difficult subject for both India and Wales. In 1757, the owner of the castle at the time, Robert Clive, had ensured the rise of the East India Company. Through war, travel and trade, ‘Clive of India’ looted the country and much of that loot is still at Powis Castle. His descendent Edward Clive and his wife Henrietta continued to collect colonial loot.

The current Clives do not deny that Wales played its part in the atrocities of the British Empire, but the country did also suffer under English oppression. Wales still lives under that oppression, e.g. with Westminster not giving us the monies due us under the Barnett Formula, treating us as the problem cousin. And we all know the legacy left as a result of Queen Victoria’s empire and the evil East India Company – a very fractious relationship between India and Pakistan to this day.

The centrepiece of the exhibition is an extraordinarily huge tapestry by international artist Adeela Suleman from Karachi in Pakistan. The tapestry cleverly weaves the interlinked history of Wales and India, particularly highlighting the part played by Clive of India and Powis Castle.

In Room 8 of the gallery is the exhibition of ‘Mother Wales’ and ‘Mother India’. In one of the pieces of artwork, Mother India covers the country with her lion behind her. Mother Wales might appear more controversial to visitors but it really is quite an intriguing work up- close. Mother India stands near the glorious portrait of Ceridwen of the Mabinogion, painted by one of the greatest Welsh artists, Christopher Williams (1873-1934), originally from Maesteg.

Striking

I found the series of paintings of Queen Victoria quite striking, the first showing her holding the stolen Koh-i-Noor Diamond with dead animals around her, the next showing her killing the tiger (the symbol) of India. Because that is what Victoria’s England did to India. It raped, looted and killed it, and it’s brilliantly represented here by artist Amna Walayat. In keeping with this theme are Daniel Trivedy’s photos of a ‘tiger’ in Powis Castle. What looks amusing is actually giving the audience a serious message.

There is a section dedicated to the Welsh Dragon, a beautiful embroidered dragon taking centre-stage. Please also be sure to see the wonderful embroideries by the Glynn Vivian’s intersectional community textiles group, Threads.

The ‘Bridges and Borders’ section looks at Imperial encounters between India and Wales, in terms of international borders. Since colonialism, Wales, India and Pakistan have actually been highly collaborative when it comes to art. The themes also include subjugation of native languages in India and Welsh by England, as well as how the Partitions caused mass-displacement.

As a Welsh-born Muslim, whose grandparents were born in India, then had to move in the safety of night to Pakistan when it was created, this exhibition not only speaks to me, it screams at me, it sings at me, and I understand better why I have been perfectly fine my whole life with both my Welsh and Asian identities. Because both of these identities have been entwined for centuries.

I’m sending the next racist who tells me I’m not Welsh to this exhibition to get a much-needed education. As there are many of them around, it’s just as well this exhibition is running until November! Free entry to all, disability-friendly, the gallery is a stone’s throw from Swansea train station and multiple car parks.

For more information on Tigers & Dragons: India and Wales in Britain, visit the Glynn Vivian gallery’s site here.