In this video work Indian New Zealand artist Ilish Thomas considers the complexity of the South Asian diasporic experience in Aotearoa. In Indira’s Birthday (ઇન્દિરાનો જન્મદિવસ), Ilish records her mother putting on a saree at home in Ōtepoti Dunedin on her birthday. Within a domestic context, this celebration of identity is personal and private, in contrast to the discomfort that may be felt when wearing cultural dress in a conservative public place. Ilish’s mum protects herself from everyday racism

(Spring Time is Heart-break: Contemporary Art in Aotearoa, 2023)