Portraits of Punjabi community added to gallery

Dr Kuli Kohli, Wolverhampton Poet Laureate, featured in one of the portraits

Ten portraits showcasing a Wolverhampton’s Punjabi community have been added to the city's permanent collection.

The photographs taken by visual artist Anand Chhabra for Wolverhampton Arts and Culture portray people of Punjabi heritage as part of a project to tell inspiring stories from the community.

The images were first displayed during the Citizen UK: Punjabi Migration Histories exhibition held at Wolverhampton Art Gallery from May to July 2023.

All 10 have since become part of the gallery’s permanent collection, with three of them also entering the National Portrait Gallery’s collection.

A portrait of Dr Kuli Kohli, Wolverhampton’s poet laureate from 2022 to 2024, was one of those that will be added to the national collection and she said she was overwhelmed by the news.

She said: “I have always longed for a sense of belonging, and although it has been a challenging journey, it has been one that is worth the effort.

“I have made it a priority to uplift and enlighten others so that we can come together and form a strong, understanding and supportive community.”

Bishan Dass Bains was the first South Asian mayor of Wolverhampton

The other people featured in the 10 portraits include former bus driver Tarsem Singh Sandhu, who fought for two years for the right to wear his turban to work, and Councillor Bishan Dass Bains, the first South Asian mayor of Wolverhampton.

During last year’s exhibition, the portraits were accompanied by oral history recordings of the people featured, all telling their stories.

Wolverhampton City Council’s Bhupinder Gakhal, said: “The voices of the Punjabi community are so important. The people mentioned have been involved in major movements and milestones within the city.”