We Are Here Because You Were There

The title is a quote from Sri Lankan Tamil writer and activist Ambalavaner Sivanandan. This aphorism emphasises patterns of migration following British colonial occupation. In the aftermath of colonial rule, promises of security in the homeland of the Commonwealth led many South Asian people to emigrate to Britain, finding new communities in the industrial West Midlands.

This piece was first exhibited on a street near the artist’s home in Birmingham. Hussain’s shop signs interrupt the British street with assertive messages. These challenge narratives around the ‘good immigrant’ business owner by making explicit the colonial politics underlying the restaurants and corner shops at the centre of our communities.

We Are Here Because You Were There helps to disrupt a straightforward image of commerce and daily life that the trade signs in this gallery may otherwise describe. Bengali workers resided in Britain as early as the mid 17th century, before these artworks were made. Think of your local high street and those integral to this image. Do we take time to understand everybody’s story and their struggle?