This work consists of a series of sugar packets with specific visual references to indentureship in Guyana. This is a very personal work that references my Indo-Guyanese heritage. I feel that there is a general amnesia around indentureship and the labour forces that replaced slavery. My ancestors would have left India for Guyana under the indentureship system. I do not know if they were forced or coerced into this, but what is highly likely is that they endured severe labour conditions. My grandfather and mother tell me how they were referred to as ‘Coolies’ even until leaving British Guyana in 1963. At that time, they never necessarily saw it as a derogatory term.

The source images I have used refer to various facets of the indentureship system and include images of John Gladstone, plantation maps, 'bodies' and methods of transport The images are made using sugar paper overlaid with acetate. Over time the sugar paper bleaches to leave a monochrome print. In most cases the bleached paper has then been digitally overprinted with another image creating a palimpsest. 

My mum was upset when she saw the images of Indian men holding up numbers on their arrival to Guyana. For me, the upset comes from knowing that colonialism (including indentureship) receives so little attention in our education system. I've always sensed that a better understanding of our historical connections can lead to a greater sense of belonging for individuals, and a more cohesive society.