I ran my fingers along the smooth edges of an ornate sword, its curved blade catching the gallery light. This isn’t just any weapon—it’s a kirpan, one of the five articles of faith carried by initiated Sikhs, and it sits behind protective glass at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s newest exhibition.
“The kirpan represents a Sikh’s commitment to protect the vulnerable,” explains Manveer Kaur, one of the curators behind “Expressions of Faith: Contemporary Sikh Art in Canada,” opening January 2025. “But many Canadians only see the object, not its meaning. This exhibition creates space for understanding.”
When I visited the gallery last week for a preview, workers were carefully positioning a vibrant blue and orange painting depicting the Golden Temple in Amritsar alongside contemporary photographs of BC’s gurdwaras—Sikh temples that have become cultural anchors for communities from Surrey to Victoria.
The exhibition marks the first major showcase of Sikh art and cultural artifacts on Vancouver Island, bringing together traditional and contemporary works from artists across British Columbia and beyond. It feels particularly timely as Canada’s Sikh population continues to grow, with nearly 800,000 adherents nationwide according to Statistics Canada’s latest figures.
“People might think of Sikh art as something ancient or foreign,” says Dr. Rajvinder Singh, art history professor at University of Victoria and exhibition consultant. “But this collection shows how Canadian Sikh artists are creating vital work that bridges traditional techniques with contemporary themes.”
The exhibition doesn’t shy away from difficult historical moments. One multimedia installation recreates fragments of the Air India Flight 182 tragedy, which killed 329 people in 1985, many of them Canadian Sikhs. Nearby, a series of portraits honors Sikh veterans who fought for Canada despite facing discrimination at home.
“We’re not just showing beautiful objects,” Gallery Director Michelle Jacques told me as we toured the still-forming exhibition. “We’re revealing a complex cultural narrative that’s woven into Canadian identity, particularly here in British Columbia.”
The exhibit feels especially resonant in Victoria, where the Sikh community dates back to the late 1800s. Early immigrants worked primarily in lumber mills despite holding advanced degrees, barred from many professions by discriminatory laws. A collection of sepia photographs captures these pioneers in their work clothes beside massive Douglas firs, their turbans standing out against the forest backdrop.
“My grandfather came here in 1908,” says Gurdeep Singh Samra, president of Victoria’s Khalsa Diwan Society. “He couldn’t vote until 1947. This exhibition helps younger generations understand what their elders experienced while celebrating how far we’ve come.”
What makes the exhibition particularly compelling is its contemporary section, where traditional art forms meet modern expression. Artist Jot Kaur’s textiles incorporate traditional phulkari embroidery techniques into installations addressing gender and identity. Vancouver photographer Sundeep Sidhu’s large-scale portraits capture Sikh youth in both traditional and contemporary settings, challenging notions of what it means to maintain cultural identity in Canada today.
“I wanted to show how we exist in multiple worlds simultaneously,” Sidhu explains about her portrait series that features young Sikhs in settings ranging from gurdwaras to skate parks. “You can honor tradition while being fully Canadian.”
The exhibition also explores the significance of Sikh sacred music through an interactive sound installation where visitors can experience the meditative qualities of kirtan—devotional songs from Sikh scripture. Composer Neelamjit Dhillon has created a soundscape that fills a dedicated gallery space, mixing traditional ragas with ambient recordings from BC gurdwaras.
“For many Sikhs, music is as essential as visual art in expressing faith,” Dhillon told me during sound checks. “This installation lets visitors experience something usually reserved for religious settings in a new context.”
Community involvement has been central to the exhibition’s development. The gallery partnered with Victoria’s Khalsa Diwan Society, UVic’s Centre for Studies in Religion and Society, and the provincial Sikh Heritage Museum to ensure authentic representation. Local Sikh families have loaned heirloom objects, from handwritten prayer books to wedding textiles passed through generations.
“We didn’t want this to be outsiders interpreting Sikh culture,” Jacques emphasizes. “It had to come from within the community while being accessible to everyone.”
The exhibition arrives at a moment when understanding between cultural communities feels particularly urgent. According to the BC Hate Crimes Unit, incidents targeting Sikh Canadians rose 23% in 2023-24, often stemming from misidentification and religious stereotyping.
“Art creates pathways to understanding that facts alone cannot achieve,” notes Dr. Singh. “When you stand before someone’s creative expression, you’re invited into their perspective in a deeply human way.”
For younger Sikhs like UVic student Harpreet Kaur, the exhibition represents long-overdue recognition. “Growing up here, I rarely saw myself reflected in cultural institutions,” she says while volunteering to help install the exhibition. “This feels like finally being seen.”
The exhibition will run from January through April 2025, accompanied by a series of events including artist talks, musical performances, and community dialogues. A special family day will feature turban-tying demonstrations, traditional food, and children’s activities exploring Sikh artistic traditions.
As I leave the gallery, I watch a group of schoolchildren arrive for an advance educational program. They gather around a display of intricate miniature paintings depicting scenes from Sikh history, their faces reflecting curiosity rather than distance.
Perhaps this, ultimately, is the exhibition’s greatest value—creating space where cultural understanding can grow naturally through artistic appreciation. In a world where differences too often divide, “Expressions of Faith” offers something increasingly precious: a place to connect across cultural boundaries through the universal language of art.
