On Monday, April 21, from 5 to 6 p.m., Toronto-based ceramic artist Heidi McKenzie will lead a public walkthrough of her acclaimed exhibition Reclaimed: Indo-Caribbean HerStories at Gallery 1C03.
McKenzie’s work illuminates the power and courage of Indo-Caribbean women, past and present. Through a feminist lens, her exhibit narrates the little-known histories of the Indo-indentureship that took place from 1838-1917.
While Reclaimed remains on view at Gallery 1C03 until April 25, this walkthrough offers a unique chance to experience the exhibit through the eyes of the artist herself. McKenzie will share personal insights into her creative process and the stories behind each piece, deepening participants’ understanding of the exhibition’s themes of identity and reclamation.
Among the standout works in the exhibition is Crescent Moon, a ceramic sculpture inspired by the jewelry traditions of Indo-Caribbean Muslim women, echoing McKenzie’s own paternal heritage. The name McKenzie is an anglicization/simplification of her family’s original name, which was likely Makhanjee.
Heidi McKenzie’s Crescent Moon.
Crescent Moon illuminates the stories of Indo-Caribbean indentured labourers who were paid in silver shillings for their very hard work on sugar cane, cocoa and banana plantations. Labourers who were illiterate could not access banking systems, so they had their earnings melted and made into silver jewelry. Wearing jewelry served to establish status as it symbolized a transformation of people’s indentured labour to visible wealth. Coins, boxes, and other design elements such as the Islamic crescent moon endured, while local variations incorporated Caribbean aesthetics.
McKenzie created Crescent Moon to connect her to this tradition of Indo-Caribbean indentureship jewelry in the absence of having actual inherited jewelry. Her sculpture also creates space for a wide audience to learn about and reflect upon this history.
Gallery 1C03 is currently raising funds to acquire Crescent Moon for the University of Winnipeg’s permanent art collection. The sculpture would be displayed in the University Library with a QR code linking to information about the artwork and the stories it honours.
Artworks like this support teaching and research by sparking dialogue about underrepresented histories. As a permanent part of the University campus, this piece will inspire important discussions about the suppressed stories of BIPOC communities.
To make a gift toward the acquisition of Crescent Moon, and to learn more about the exhibit walk-through event, please visit Gallery 1C03’s website.
Reclaimed: Indo-Caribbean HerStories is on display at Gallery 1C03 until April 25. The gallery is open weekdays from 12 to 4 p.m., and will be closed on Friday, April 18 for the statutory holiday.
