I am a British-Asian conceptual artist. My work reflects upon my experiences of growing up in Britain, drawing on my background of being a second-generation immigrant. Recently, my practice primarily focuses on the complexities of race and identity, predominantly South Asian diaspora.
The rise of Punjabi garage has also allowed me to grow as an artist: the genre has sparked my interest to explore themes of modern integration and assimilation in England within my work, especially from the perspective of being a British born Indian woman. I aim to change how my heritage and culture is displayed in public spaces as well as combining themes of music within my work. A common theme within my practice is reworking and reappropriating my previous work. I am drawn to materials and aesthetics that come from the British-Asian home. The importance of the material is not the actual material but rather what the object symbolises. I enjoy working with photomontage because I like how automatic the images are, creating a good basis for my work. By using different methods of print, it has allowed me to think about how I chose to exhibit my work in public places.
Growing up in a largely white, working-class area and coming from a bicultural background has often led me to feel conflicted about my identity. It is only as of recent where I finally feel content with myself as an artist. My research has made me reflect on my differences in comparison to other artists in the industry. I have learnt that as an artist, the most important thing to me and my work is representation. The contemporary art world lacks British-Asian artists and I want to make sure I fill the gap. The artists Rosie Vohra and Hardeep Pandhalinspire me to explore themes of cross identity and what it means to come from somewhere but not really belong anywhere.
Instagram: @fineartpriya
Email: harpriyakaur@hotmail.co.uk