London-based photographers will shine a light on the Sikhs in America when they open an exhibition of their photographs they have shot of thirty-odd people in the US.
The pair has been photographing Sikh men and women from the UK since 2014 for a project named The Singh Project.
Waris Ahluwalia Source: Amit and Naroop
“The turban and the beard are the most powerful and obvious symbols of the identity of a Sikh man. The Singh Project is a celebration of that identity,” they say.
The exhibition in the US will commence shortly after the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Nursing student Ishpreet Kaur Source: Amit and Naroop
“The exhibition will be on display just after 9/11 and in part aims to spread awareness about the Sikh identity to stop racial discrimination attacks like those in the aftermath of 9/11. Sikh men and women who wear turbans face much more prejudice in New York, and, in fact, the whole of US. There is a certain lack of understanding of their identity, so they have to deal with issues that UK Sikhs don’t. This makes them more sensitive and aware of their identity,” they told Scroll.in.
The American project is named ‘The Sikh Project’ which is being done in collaboration with the Sikh Coalition. The project aims to start a conversation about what it means to look like an American.
Harmandeep Singh Source: Amit and Naroop
Some of the people photographed in the project have their own experiences post the 9/11 attacks, some others are expressing their pride by way of this project.
