Weaving together a story of migration, belonging and community, Oxfordshire-based artist Saroj Patel’s new solo exhibition ‘Journey of the Blue Sun’ traverses through a small village in India to a new life in the UK.
Her immersive interplay of colour, light and sound opened at Oxford’s Old Fire Station gallery recently, on until mid-November, as the artist presents a series of brand-new installations and sculptures inspired by her mixed British Indian cultural heritage.
Patel, born in Preston, England, shares: “I have always been fascinated by my parents’ stories about their initial move to the UK, the experiences they had and how different life was compared to India.
“Like many Indians who migrated to the UK, they faced numerous challenges and difficulties. However, being a second-generation immigrant has positively impacted my life in many ways. It has given me far more choices and opportunities than I would have had if I had been born in the villages in Gujarat.”
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Incorporating her signature textile artworks with brand-new forays into sound and video, Patel invites visitors into an immersive, sensory experience. The display also includes new artworks co-created with a group of women from Sunrise Multicultural Project, Banbury, Oxfordshire.
Representing the experiences and stories of intercultural communities across the UK, ‘Journey of the Blue Sun’ is a celebration of new beginnings and significant histories – produced and curated by Mark Devereux Projects.
Curator Mark Devereux said: “Journey of the Blue Sun shares an important personal story that is pertinent to so many people and communities living in the UK now. The new work Saroj has produced for this exhibition signals an exciting future for this ambitious and talented artist.”
The Old Fire Station (OFS) is a multi-form arts centre in the heart of Oxford that shares a building and partnership with Crisis, the homelessness charity. OFS encourages people from all backgrounds to understand and shape the world in which we live through stories, creativity and the arts, and by connecting with others.
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