Born and raised in Ipoh, Rajinder, 60, delves into the colonial legacies and experiences of the Sikh diaspora through a series of large paintings and sculptures, accompanied by his poetry volume, “Pale in Saffron.”

His work is a refreshing take on the stories of the Sikh community in India passed down through generations, particularly those of objectification and humiliation by the British.

His work, showcased in prestigious collections worldwide, is an invitation to Malaysians to reconsider the stories they’ve inherited and how these stories shape their understanding of history.

“Saffron has been the essence of my artistic practice for the past 20 years now,” London-based Rajinder told FMT Lifestyle. “In the South Asian context, it means purity and spirituality, but for me, it’s more abstract.”

This abstraction is vividly brought to life in his artwork, which draws heavily from the Second Anglo-Sikh War, a pivotal moment that led to the fall of the Sikh Empire in 1849.

“As children, we often heard about that scene of surrender – how Sikh soldiers were humiliated, made to march through a parade of British flags, kneel, and put down their weapons in front of the British soldiers,” he recalled.

“After that surrender, we actually worked with the English,” he explained, pointing out the uncomfortable truth. This duality is a recurring theme in his work – who is truly the coloniser, and who is the colonised? Who’s the oppressor, and who’s the oppressed?

“When we arrived in Malaysia, we weren’t brought as indentured labour like the Tamil or Chinese people; we were employed by the British to police the colonised.”

Rajinder shared that this is particularly personal for him as his grandfather, a police officer in Ipoh, eventually refused to work for the British.

“Back then, locals in Malaysia saw us as an extension of the British, but we tend to forget that,” he expressed.

One of the most striking pieces in the exhibition is the oil painting “Ambiguous Allegiance.”

Here, a Sikh soldier, clad in a saffron turban, stands triumphant on a horse with a sword in hand. Yet, behind him, subtly blending into the backdrop, flies the Union Jack. This juxtaposition raises questions about their identity, and the complexities of colonial history.

In “A Heavenly Machine,” Rajinder alludes to the British use of religion as a moral justification for colonisation. If you look closely, you might even spot a figure resembling Jesus Christ in the background.

What’s particularly intriguing about this painting is the depiction of uniforms that blur the lines between the colonised and the coloniser. Some figures are painted in saffron, while others wear the red or blue uniforms associated with British forces.

“I use big strokes when painting. I think details ruin a painting,” Rajinder stressed, emphasising his deliberate choice to leave certain aspects of his work ambiguous.

His technique of leaving parts of his paintings unfinished – where the initial pencil sketches are still visible – speaks to the idea that history itself is never complete.

The exhibition also features powerful depictions of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919, a tragic event where British troops fired on unarmed Indian civilians.

“Stained with the Secular Rituals of the Sacred” stands out for its darker, more sombre tone. It portrays a Sikh soldier carrying a man in his arms, with the Union Jack lying beneath them, symbolising the weight of colonial oppression.

“Silent Resolve,” another notable piece, shifts the focus from the chaos of battle to a more introspective moment. It depicts Maharaja Ranjit Singh, once a powerful ruler, now seated on a throne, gazing blankly into the distance, perhaps contemplating the aftermath of his empire’s fall.

“For me, ‘Saffron Surrender’ is a call to action to look back at our history. If an artist can’t do this, who can?”

‘Saffron Surrender’ is on display at Wei-Ling Gallery until Sept 14.

Wei-Ling Gallery
No 8, Jalan Scott
Brickfields
50470 Kuala Lumpur

10am–6pm: Tuesday–Friday
10am–5pm: Saturday
Closed: Sunday and Monday

Exhibition is open by appointment only. Contact +60322601106 or e-mail [email protected]