Victor Davson b . British Guiana 1948 ; works in New Jersey , USA
Jhandi Flag # 5 , 4 ( top ) and 2 , 8 ( bottom ) from the series , Jhandi Flags , 2017 Glitter , sequins , acrylic on canvas Courtesy of the artist
Since departing Guyana in 1973 , Victor Davson has sought to negotiate the roots of the country ’ s cultural identities in his artistic oeuvre . Often , Davson calls on his childhood as the son of a postmaster whose stations throughout the country allowed him to bear witness to its multi-faith practices , including Hinduism , a dominant religion in Guyana .
Clusters of colored jhandi flags mounted on bamboo poles are a common site in Hindu homes , temples , and public spaces near bodies of water to indicate a Hindu prayer ceremony ( puja ) has been performed . In Jhandi Flags , Davson references the religious iconology of this ritual , transforming the canvas ’ s fabric with a heavy bath of glitter , sequins , and acrylic paint . In Jhandi Flag # 5 , the politics of faith and the nation-state meet as the artist reinvents a miniature flag of Guyana , where the green and yellow of its golden arrowhead are visible . Davson examines the history of Indian indentured servitude in Guyana through the performance of ritual , noting his intention for the work as “ A countermeasure to the despair of colonial rule and the indenture experience . These objects occupy a liminal space fraught with uncertainty , shifting boundaries , loss of identity , and desire .”