Artist explores the story of indentured Indians in sugar

A poignant chapter of South African history will be illuminated this September as Zenaéca Singh, a visual artist graduating with her Master’s in Fine Art from the University of Cape Town (UCT), dedicates her thesis to the often-overlooked stories of indentured Indians.

Singh’s work, set to debut on Wednesday, will spotlight the brutal reality that over 150 000 Indians faced when they migrated to Natal between 1860 and 1911 under the guise of better job opportunities within the sugar industry. Unfortunately, the dream of a prosperous life quickly degraded into a nightmare marked by draconian working conditions, paltry wages, and systemic injustices on the sugar estates.

Through her innovative approach to art, Singh aims to connect the cultural economy of sugar with the painful history of indenture. Using the medium of sugar in its various forms - both liquid and solid - she crafts a narrative that explores themes of colonialism, labour exploitation, and personal domesticity.

“My use of sugar expands on its cultural economy to include the lost history of indenture, connecting the nuances between slavery and indentureship,” Singh said. “The sticky residues of the archive reflect the slow violence of indentureship, while the sweetness signifies the hopes of descendant communities to reconcile with their historical trauma.”

Singh, a fourth-generation Indian South African, employs her art as a personal and political investigation. Her creations, which include intricate paintings, sculptures, and installations, aim to interrogate the narratives encapsulated in state-produced archival materials concerning the lives of her ancestors and their descendants. She hopes to honour their resilience and self-making in the face of adversity.

Using family photographs as a framework, she creates an intimate portrayal of the silenced experiences of South African Indians that remain excluded from mainstream historical documentation.

One striking aspect of her work includes sculptures of melting sugar ships, which symbolise the shifting relationships between India and South Africa through the Indian Ocean. This artistic exploration also critiques British colonialism and its ramifications on everyday life through pieces like “High Tea” - a visual commentary on the implications of British ‘high tea’ culture, seen through Singh's innovative use of sugar, clay, and resin.

Singh’s artistic philosophy rejects the concept of "sugar coating" that has historically obscured the narrative of indentured Indians. “There's a misconception that there was a linear transition from slavery to indenture, but it was simply another method for colonial authorities to secure inexpensive labour for a lucrative sugar economy,” she said. “It’s vital to view this history through the eyes of those who lived it - the plantation workers and their descendants.”

Having earned multiple accolades for her BA in Fine Art, Singh's path to artistic success has not been devoid of challenges. Raised in Port Shepstone in a non-artistic household, she described herself as largely self-taught before pursuing formal education at the National School of Arts in Johannesburg.

The legacy of her great-great-grandfather, who faced similar struggles as an indentured labourer, fuels her commitment to uncovering lost narratives. Despite discovering a wealth of information in colonial archives, Singh found that these records seldom represented the true experiences of those affected by the system.

In her master’s thesis, she examined South African Indian historiography through a gendered lens, focusing on the sidelined stories of indentured and passenger Indian women, who were often portrayed within the confines of patriarchal and colonial frameworks. Singh emphasises the need to move beyond these reductive narratives to appreciate the complexity of Indian womanhood during that era.

With aspirations for further research into South African Indian identity and plans for a PhD, Singh is currently engaged in a series of exhibitions and commissions. These include a sugar-ship installation titled "25 Days" for the Fenix Museum of Migration in Rotterdam, an upcoming exhibition reflecting on colonial photography at the Rietberg Museum in Switzerland, and an exhibition titled “Entangled” at Rhodes House, Oxford, that examines marginal identities.

Singh's work serves not only as an artistic expression, but also as a crucial bridge connecting the past to the present — inviting contemporary audiences to confront and reflect on the legacies of colonialism and labour exploitation that destinies entwined in sugar have perpetuated.