Provoke by Asha

BEING BI-CULTURAL ISSUE NO. 02 • SPRING/SUMMER 2016

Who is Infamous Arts?

How to make Kesar Peda

Interview with Ninder Johal

Interview with Thalina Chowdhury 13

How did you decide drawing about your religion was what you wanted to do? First Year of University I was asked to create a collection of art pieces based on stories, so it could be anything like a collection of buttons, trainers you collect, the people you know that have stories and meaning to you etc. So I looked around and I wanted something with a deep meaning so I turned to my Religion and I began researching into it and ever since then I’ve never stopped, the research continues. Also looking around in the Asian community we don’t have a lot of creative’s, we all seem to be Doctors, Lawyers or owners of corner shops. What creates a culture? It’s not the money it’s the creative side, the food, the fashion, music and the Arts. Who are your main influences? The vast majority of modern Sikh art is still living in the shadow of Sobha Singh, practically tracing his work; thus the creativity has become stagnant. There is nothing we haven’t seen before. It is Inbred Art. Then I stumbled upon Jatinder Singh Durhailay and he is one of my major influences, solely for the reason he is the first artist I have seen that creates original Sikh art. This alone sparked my interest to create images of my Gurus that are personal to me and not copying someone else’s image or ideas. How did you come up with your name Infamous Arts? The name and the logo are both intertwined, a lotus rising up through the infamous world, not being affected and being able to float above it.

“As the lotus flower floats unaffected in the water, so does (one) remains detached in his own household (sggs 949)”. The flower itself is used across the eastern parts of the world as a sign of hope and purity. Due to the fact it begins its life deeply rooted in the muddy pond. It then grows from the bottom of the pond all the way to the top, and then sprouts its petals in way that its petals do not touch the ponds mud or slime. Therefore it has become the symbol of life, that we are born into a world full of various conflicts, impurity and desires, but if we have the will to resist it; we too shall rise above it and remain pure, achieving enlightenment. How do publications portray 21st century British Desi culture? From my personal knowledge I think a lot of publications are positive in the UK. Desi culture has grown so much especially in Birmingham. There’s a lot of Bhangra Events, Birmingham is home to the Balti and Britons favorite dish is the chicken tikka masala. We couldn’t have achieved this if we had a lot of negative publications. Recently models like Waris Ahluwalia, SinghStreetStyle and Jatinder Singh Durhaily have modeled for Gap, Levi, Louis Vuitton etc. We also have Brit Asia and the BBC Asian network, two channels that promote British Desi culture, but with all of this I would say we are still the least represented in British media than any other group. How does perception of identity affect how people design? Identity could relate to many things but it’s something that makes us us, and every designer and creative

puts themselves into what they create. If they didn’t we wouldn’t have the diversity we have today. Thus British Desi’s will have a different design trend compared to their Indian counterparts, because we have been schooled in British institutions to create a mix of cultures. Personally I have a lot of work which is Sikh based but the art style I would say is very western digitally designed and finished. Do editorial publications portray a realistic sense of how 21st Century British Desi Asians live daily? I don’t think publications outside of the British Desi scene do a good job, I think a lot of it is the stereotypical comedy side of the culture. The labeling of the whole Asian subcontinent for example fits into the title ‘British Desi’ but there are various types of Desi’s which need to be promoted, Pakistani, Gujurati, Punjabi, Bengali cultures. Each are different and bringing a different twist or aspect on the Desi Culture, I have never seen it, explored it or promoted in depth to that level. Website: https://society6.com/infamousarts

Directions for making Kesar Peda

Ingredients:

Gently warm the milk without boiling it and soak saffron in it. Keep this aside for 10 minutes.

300 grams khoya

In a pan add crumbled khoya and sugar. Cook this on a low heat for 4-5 minutes stirring continuously until the sugar is completely dissolved. The khoya will first liquify and then thicken again. Be careful not to burn the khoya. Once the khoya has thickened, add saffron milk and powdered cardamom to it. Cook for a few more minutes till the khoya thickens up considerably and resembles a sticky dough like consistency. At this stage, turn off the heat and allow the peda mixture to cool. Once the mixture is cool enough to touch, knead it lightly to get rid of any lumps so you have a smooth mixture. You can add a little ghee at this stage to give it a good shine. Roll the kesar peda mixture into a log and cut 12 equal pieces. Roll each of peda portions into small balls, make a small dent in the center and add the pista slices. Or you could use a peda mould if you have one. Once shaped the Kesar Peda is ready to be served. Refrigerate the Kesar Peda until ready to eat.

4 tablespoons sugar 15 strands kesar or saffron 2 tablespoons milk 1/4 teaspoon powdered cardamom 1 tablespoon sliced pista (pistachios) 1/2 teaspoon ghee (optional)

Interview with Ninder Johal who is the Managing director of Nachural Records group. What is your view of Bhangra music in Birmingham? For the last 20 years or so, even now Birmingham has been the epicenter of Bhangra culture. The majority of Bhangra music is made and developed in Birmingham, whether it’s from local talent or pulling people from around the UK and worldwide. But Birmingham does produce most of the talent. There is an abundance of shows, gigs, live entertainment and Birmingham is the hub for all Bhangra. Who have you worked with before and what was their impact on Bhangra culture? I have worked with a lot of people but the most prevalent single artist I have undertaken is probably Punjabi MC. In that project I’ve worked with Jay Z, you have probably heard of him and we produced ‘Beware’ or the Jay Z version ‘Beware of the Boys’ track. That single has highly influenced Bhangra as we had the top leading R&B and Hip Hop artist Jay Z help make Bhangra aware to a wider audience, not just the Asian community.

Was that your best production? Yeah I mean what else could top it. It is an iconic Bhangra tune. It has lead to a lot of the Bhangra music to change slightly to include Hip Hop beats combined with Punjabi instrumentals. It reached the UK’s top 10 and No 1 in 5 different countries and No 7 in the US charts. Do you think its Birmingham artists who take the music forward? Yeah yeah, I mean Bhangra has gone across to the United States as well as other countries where there is a network of Asian communities but really it has stayed in Birmingham, it is the birthplace of Bhangra and it’s still it’s home. We have the entire infrastructure, close knit communities, halls, music rooms, gigs and fresh talent. Birmingham is going to be where all the best original hits will come from. Don’t get me wrong though Bhangra is all over the world now, in major countries like America, Canada, India, Pakistan and so on, so there is competition which does now raise the bar which really helps us to make better music, so Birmingham does have completion but its good healthy competition.

Name: Thalina Chowdhury Age: 20 Ethnicity: Bengali What are your opinions on being bi-cultural is about? For me it’s the mixture of two cultures and embracing them both within your identity. Do you feel Desi Asians are perceived in a certain way? Yes you have particular expectations growing up and are bound up to cultural roles and that showcases in the way you dress and look. How would you explain your fashion sense? Is it quite traditional or modern?

Being born in the UK and brought up by parents who have migrated from South Asian continents I can relate to how some 21st century Desi Asians feel, they are being perceived badly from people from different cultural backgrounds for the way they dress or act. When people from South Asian continents come to the UK, you in a way let go of some of your cultural background and transition yourself to the new Westernized culture and your new surroundings. They also try more than anything to fit into the crowd because they think that’s what would make you accepted in the 21st century. Nowadays, Indian cultural dresses are only needed for weddings and occasions. Most youngsters prefer to wear Western society and branded clothing as this allows them to have the latest fashion and fit in with their friends.

I would say it’s more modern. I don’t really often embrace the cultural side unless it’s for a cultural event such as a wedding, but on a everyday basis I dress more modern in the sense that my clothes don’t really show my Desi culture.

Cover model: Thalina Chowdhury Illustrations by: Infamous Arts (Harjinder Singh) Food photography by: Marius Dobre Images edited by: Asha Patel Art Director: Asha Patel