Exhibition shows 'powerful' British Indian journey

Saroj Patel's exhibition takes the visitor from a small village in India "to a new life in the UK"

A new art exhibition featuring sculptures and installations inspired by an artist's South Asian heritage has opened.

Journey of the Blue Sun, the first solo show by Saroj Patel, uses artworks to take the visitor from a small village in India "to a new life in the UK".

It features textiles, sound and video, and art co-created with women at the Sunrise Multicultural Project in Banbury.

Ms Patel, who lives in Oxfordshire, said she was inspired by the "powerful" stories her parents told her, and wanted to share them with a wider audience.

The exhibition features textiles, sound and video

It is on at the Old Fire Station in Oxford until 16 November

She said: "I have always been fascinated by my parents’ stories about their initial move to the UK, the experiences they had and how different life was compared to India.

"Like many Indians who migrated to the UK, they faced numerous challenges and difficulties.

"However, being a second-generation immigrant has positively impacted my life in many ways.

"It has given me far more choices and opportunities than I would have had if I had been born in the villages in Gujarat."

Ms Patel worked with the Sunrise Multicultural Project in Banbury on some of the exhibits

Speaking to the BBC's Rena Annobil, Ms Patel said: "I feel like everybody has a story and everybody’s story is important... if you can share yourself a little bit it gives an understanding to other people who might not understand your background, or some of your culture, and for people to learn."

She said her sessions with the women at the Banbury group were "really great".

"I got to be with a group of wonderful women and South Asian women, and we got to work together.

"It was just about being creative and playful, getting to know each other, just being together making work, and I absolutely loved their creations and what they did."

She was inspired by the "powerful" stories her parents told her

Curator Mark Devereux said: "Journey of the Blue Sun shares an important personal story that is pertinent to so many people and communities living in the UK now.

"The new work Saroj has produced for this exhibition signals an exciting future for this ambitious and talented artist."

The exhibition, which was funded and supported by the Old Fire Station in Oxford alongside Arts Council England, Oxford City Council, and Little Greene, is on at the venue until 16 November.

Local residents are invited to a special event on 19 October to share their stories and experiences of migration and living in Oxford, when Ms Patel will also be interviewed by Mr Devereux.

The artist repurposed old sarees for some of the displays