Transcript of Symrath Patti introducing her body of work at a hybrid workshop with DAAP at the Women's Art Library, 27 May 2023:

Body of work that includes a catalogue, which was later used in the "File Under Female" by Bella Milroy, from the exhibition 'Keeping it Together' held at Pavilion Leeds. It was part of the Complete Promise,the Promise of derral. A portrait was used in the catalogue and labelled ‘self portrait.’ I then added to it commenting on self portraiture and selling identity as ethnicity as self portraiture. Tearing away at one’s own image and how we fitted in culturally and how that was being monitored in the 80s and 90s. I wrote 'file under post-colonial female' since I was exploring and questioning the dominant gaze in a patriarchal society as well as police cultural surveillance. Bella was drawn to the image and the text that had been written by me. She decided to make work exploring the image and text; it became a collective experience.

'THE COMPLETE PROMISE,'an exhibition by SYMRATH PATTI at CentreSpace, 15th July 10th August 1991. Medium: Photographic Images on Perspex Size: 3ft x 6ft per Panel Total Number of Panels: 14

My subject matter is the experience of three generations, who became homeless as a result of partition in India in 1947, and who are now part of the post-colonial 'black diaspora' living in London.

The work comprises fourteen panels. The images depicted are a combination of public advertisements, media images and written text, which reflect consuming cultural experiences. I chose to work with perspex as a material which reflects the 'plastic arts' and 'credit card' culture it's produced in.

My work is about Indian female sexuality in the context of Indian traditions, rituals, caste, class, and religion itself and the influences of a European setting.

The Indian female symbol of 'Motherhood' is placed in confrontation with itself. I make use of other symbols: skin whitening creams, jewellery, mannequins etc., in order to bring to the surface the juxtapositions of European and Asian female symbolism which confront each other and create conflicts between generations in a modern contemporary setting.

The relationship between the images and symbols is as complex as the relationship between Europe and India.

I was brought into Cranford Community School to initiate a visual arts project. My brief was to examine images of Asians and Europeans in the media. The workshops took place between September 1990 and February 1991 with different year groups.

With teachers and students Allan De Souza and I explored cultural transmission of images from popular Indian films. Clips were selected from films such as 'Chalbaaz' and 'Quamat Se Quamat Tek'. The clips focussed on viewing the traditional and the modern family, women, men and religion.

Students were encouraged to make their own responses and define their own ideas visually and in notes.

July 1991 Symrath Patti Hounslow Leisure Services

CentreSpace, Hounslow, London, 15th July - 10th August 1991

Cuban Biennale 1991/1992

'Keeping in Together,' Pavillion, Leeds 1992

'Renegotiations,' Norwich Gallery, 1993

Bernard Institute, New York, 90s

Goldsmiths, Kingsway Corridor, 13 August - 31 August 2018