Big sea, Small waves

The ocean connects us all. Our communities can be seen as waves, pushed by ‘storms’ far away to migrate as swells, and land on the shores of Aotearoa. Guy Howard-Smith's father was born in India and is Anglo-Indian and his family came to Ponsonby in the late 1940’s for new opportunities.

At the end of 2023 Howard-Smith travelled to Lucknow and Kolkata to take up a residency with the All India Anglo-Indian Association. Whilst there, a chance encounter with the iconic Amar Chitra Katha historic comic series inspired Howard-Smith toreplicate the spirit of one of these comics, focusing on the Eurasian community in India.

A rich food history, unique patois, and semi mythical origin stories of European ancestors are commonalities many Anglo-Indian families share. This exhibition aims to build on, and celebrate Anglo-Indian traditions, touching on ideas of nationhood and belonging which reach beyond the Anglo-Indian community.