Artist Statement

Sukhjeven Chumber, MA.

Exclusive Commission - BRIT-ISH t-shirt design selected by the TATE is a great achievement for me and is giving me the ground to break threw into the modern art world.

I graduated Sept 2009 from Wolverhampton University in MA in Fine Art.
Specialising in New Technology and New - Media and the ideas of Cultural Identity and Race in British Art & Culture.
This is my own very personal view of what Identity means to me in the world we live in today.

It is really important what this means to me the idea about, that, I am British Asian. What does my Identity have to offer in today’s society when we are living in world after 9/11. The world has changed and so has the art world. Asian art is predominately becoming of interest to people around the globe. I am tackling 'race' for example ‘skin colour’ head on and also discussing the ideas of why the arts are so white? All these ideas are linked together to create a body of powerful work. I want the viewer to feel a first hand experience with what I have and am experiencing and to think about what they are looking at because it is very important to me that we understand where we are coming from to know where we are going.

I use the word 'PAKI' in my work this is used in a derogative sense which provokes many feelings for myself and the viewer, they feel as if they don’t know what to do with this word as it stares them in the face.

I am re-acting if you like the idea of when someone calls me this racist word, I have no time to think, all I no is what I hear and that first split second is what I am trying to express and display.

Having grown up in this country and being 3rd generation British born I have encountered a lot of racism in many forms, through verbal, physical, ignorance and prejudice and especially for me in the art world. And this is something that I am trying to challenge and change this negative abuse to a POSITIVE expression. And want my art to change the world we live in and I know it can. I believe in my work and the ideas I have. My passion is extendable and this shows in my practice today.

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