Indo-Caribbean art exhibition celebrates Indian Arrival Day

The Bronx-based anti-poverty nonprofit Oyate Group on Sunday hosted “Indian Arrival: Indentured Survival,” a one-day art exhibition commemorating Guyana’s Indian Arrival Day celebrations, which observe the day the first ship of South Asian indentured servants landed in the Caribbean.

The exhibition took place at Oyate Group’s headquarters in Mott Haven and was curated by the esteemed Indo-Guyanese multidisciplinary artist Raqeebah Zaman.

“Indian Arrival: Indentured Survival” showcased an array of thought-provoking visual art, poignant short film screenings and live readings from renowned local and international Indo-Caribbean artists.

These included award-winning Canadian filmmaker and NYU Tisch Assistant Professor Ian Harnarine; New York-based author and lawyer Liz Jaikaran; New York-based conceptual artist Jasmine Baksh; Queens-based writer and visual artist Nadia Misir; Dutch-Surinamese visual artist Nazrina Rodjan; and Brooklyn-based writer, poet and master of ceremonies Will Depoo.

Artists Will Depoo, Raqeebah Zaman, Jasmine Baksh, Nadia Misir, Nazrina Rodjan and Oyate Group’s COO Jason Autar pose in front of the step and repeat. Photo by Amit Ramnarain

“Indian Arrival Day is an important day for me not just because I’m Guyanese but because of the significance of the first ship that arrived at Port Mourant, the place where my family lineage originates,” said Jason Autar, chief operating officer of Oyate Group.

“For those of us who are descendants of indentured servants who survived and prevailed amidst harsh tribulations, we must continue to harken back to our history, learn from it and work to enact change in our communities the way our ancestors did to give us the lives we have the privilege of living today,” he added.

Autar said the event began with a screening of Ian Harnarine’s critically-acclaimed short film “Caroni,” which portrays a homesick West Indian nanny working in New York City who tries new ways to reconnect with her young daughter in Trinidad and Tobago.

Filmmaker Ian Harnarine conducting a Q&A session for his short film, “Caroni.” Photo by Amit Ramnarain

Jason Autar, Raqeeba Zaman and Will Depoo then gave opening remarks to denote the significance of Indian Arrival Day and introduce the rest of the artists who are honoring the enduring history, legacy and resilience of Indo-Caribbean communities through their expressive art and storytelling.

Autar said the attendees were treated to “a walking tour” of the exhibition, which highlighted Nazrina Rodjan’s oil paintings, Jasmine Baksh’s sculptures and Raqeeba Zaman’s photography.

Liz Jaikaran read poems from her book “Waiting for a Name,” which focus on thematic topics about her family, neighborhood and wisdom passed down through generations of women in her family. Will Depoo and Nadia Misir read some of their poetry excerpts, as well, Autar said.

He said the Oyate Group’s commitment to ending cycles of poverty across NYC includes “creating access to local art and history that bolsters the community’s sense of agency.”

By hosting art exhibitions that explore history, culture and identity like “Indian Arrival: Indentured Survival,” he said “the Oyate Group aims to re-empower diverse voices that have long been overlooked.”

Autar said Oyate Group’s programs and initiatives focus on youth development, small business empowerment, food accessibility, gun violence prevention and more.

He said Oyate Group is nationally recognized for vaccinating over 40,000 New Yorkers at the height of the pandemic, its one-of-a-kind paid internship program for undocumented youth, a small business incubator offering up to $50,000 to local entrepreneurs, a $20,000 scholarship for Bronx youth headed to college, a leadership program for high schoolers, annual turkey giveaways, backpack giveaways and gun buybacks.

Autar said Oyate Group’s offices are available to local community-based organizations and leaders with “a shared goal of uplifting the community through events, workshops, art openings and more.” Organizations can go to Oyate Group’s website to apply.

For more information, visit OyateGroup.org, and follow Oyate Group on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.