Artist Jag Nagra discusses artwork for Komagata Maru Place

Canada Place now has the secondary, honorary name of Komagata Maru Place as part of our ongoing efforts towards cultural redress of historic discrimination towards the South Asian Canadian community in Vancouver.

Signage for Komagata Maru Place was created by artist Jagandeep (Jag) Kaur Nagra (https://www.jagnagra.com/ ), a queer, Punjabi, visual artist passionate about art accessibility, community development, and combatting LGBTQ+ stigma in the South Asian community. Her designs for the Komagata Maru Place signage contain layers of iconography and are based on two well-known archival photographs. The works were produced by the City of Vancouver’s Public Art Program in collaboration with Social Policy, Engineering and Street, Traffic & Electrical Operations departments. The guiding values within the Public Art Program extend from Culture|Shift- Vancouver’s 10-year arts & culture plan. One of these priorities centers commitments to equity and anti-racism by promoting cultural redress and advancing community-led cultural initiatives.

You can view the Komagata Maru Place signage in downtown Vancouver at the intersections of Canada Place & Burrard Street and Canada Place & Thurlow Street. This location was chosen because it is the site closest to where the Komagata Maru ship was stationed in Burrard Inlet in 1914.

To learn more about the Komagata Maru signage, history, and City of Vancouver apology visit: https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation...

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: In summer and fall 2024, the City will be conducting community engagement to better understand the impacts of historic and ongoing discrimination faced by the South Asian Canadian community in Vancouver. To learn more and get involved, visit: https://vancouver.ca/people-programs/...

Video production credit: David Markwei Productions