Artist panel shares resilient immigration stories through art

Surrey, BC – Surrey Art Gallery Association announces their September Thursday Artist Talk with curator Taslim Samji at Surrey Art Gallery on September 12 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. titled “Journeys through Storytelling.” Admission is free.

In this Surrey Art Gallery Association conversation, Samji will share how she was inspired to start curating exhibitions, how her practice has evolved over the years, and the challenges she has had to overcome to bring them to fruition. Samji says, “I used to wonder: Am I an artist, a curator, or a teacher? Now I know I’m all three. I’m just doing it my way.”

Afterwards, artist Mehb Rahmetulla and Dr. Galib Bhayani, who were featured in Samji’s Kampala to Canada exhibit at Surrey Art Gallery from 2023–2024, will join her for a panel discussion moderated by Gallery curator of Adult Programs Sameena Siddiqui. Participants will learn about Ugandan Canadian resilient journeys through art.

This talk will engage artists and anyone who is interested in the history of the Ugandan Asian exodus and subsequent immigrant experiences in Canada.

About Taslim Samji

Taslim Samji is a Burnaby-based artist known for curating thought-provoking exhibitions that showcase the stories of immigrants in response to anti-Muslim racism and xenophobia. She completed her BA at the University of British Columbia where she majored in Asian Studies and then studied art at Emily Carr University. In 2017, Samji received an international award—Women of the Decade in Arts and Leadership—presented by the Women Economic Forum, a global conference platform with over 150 chapters. Samji’s recent publication, Kampala to Canada, shares the untold stories of twelve Ugandan Asian Canadians and explores immigration experiences through art. tsamji.com

About Mehb Rahemtulla

Mehb Rahemtulla was born in Kampala, Uganda. He was fifteen years old when the dictator Amin issued the expulsion of all Asians from Uganda. He, along with his grandmother and three aunts, were stripped of their birth certificates and citizenship, making them stateless. They were on the last flight leaving Uganda, hours before the deadline. They were stationed in a small Austrian town. There, Rahemtulla discovered his passion for the arts. In 1973, their visas arrived, and the family immigrated to Winnipeg, Canada. In 1974, Mehb graduated with a BFA (Honours) from the University of Manitoba. He then moved to Toronto. After eighteen years, he settled in Vancouver.

About Dr. Galib Bhayani

Dr. Galib Bhayani was born in Mbale, Uganda, and arrived as a refugee in Canada with his family in 1972. He was five years old. After thirty years of policing, Dr. Bhayani retired from his last post as Operations Officer for the Lower Mainland District RCMP, overseeing thirteen RCMP detachments. He taught at Kwantlen Polytechnic University for fourteen years before accepting a position at Simon Fraser University as Chief Safety and Risk Officer. He served as a UN Regional Security Chief in Sudan and pioneered policing initiatives in Baghdad, Iraq. In 2015, he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Police Forces, the highest award for police in Canada.

About Surrey Art Gallery Association 

Surrey Art Gallery Association (SAGA) is a non-profit society that offers its members the opportunity to participate in and respond to contemporary art and be part of a community that actively supports Surrey Art Gallery. sagabc.com

About Surrey Art Gallery

Founded in 1975, Surrey Art Gallery presents contemporary art by local, national, and international artists, including digital and audio art. Recognized for its award-winning programs, the Gallery engages children through to adults in ongoing conversations that affect our lives and provides opportunities to interact with artists and the artistic process. The Gallery is located at 13750 88 Avenue in Surrey on the unceded territories of the Salish Peoples, including the q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), and Semiahma (Semiahmoo) nations. Surrey Art Gallery gratefully acknowledges operating funding from the City of Surrey, Province of BC through BC Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, and the Surrey Art Gallery Association.