Mukki Gill - VEIN

i am the descendant of sikh warriors and survivors.

due to the partition and colonization, punjab, the land of five rivers, was segregated into two parts, the indian punjab and pakistani punjab. my family is from both sides of the border and faced genocidal persecution because of their identity as sikhs. despite the man made modern borders, the five rivers still flow through our original land. the same water my ancestors saw and touched, flows through us all, connecting us back to the heart of who we are.

it's in our veins.

like many people in the asian diaspora, my homeland feels foreign and distant but immediately familiar and comforting. this photo essay serves as an exploration of connection, community and identity outside the confines of colonization and oppression. this is a fictionalized and decolonial representation of aesthetics and culture, experienced in the same ways as my ancestors.

this is for them.