Crossing by Raghav Kumar and Addin Sugarda presents a dialogue between personal histories and cultural inheritances, exploring the ways individuals navigate the intersections of memory, heritage, and identity. Through distinct yet interwoven practices, the artists reconstruct fragmented narratives to interrogate belonging and self-definition.

Raghav Kumar's work draws on documentary photography and archival imagery to reflect on his upbringing in a refugee household shaped by the Partition of India. His site-specific installation combines contemporary photographs with family archives, reconstructing the layered micro-histories of his ancestral home and migrant experience in Australia. This deeply personal exploration positions photography as a medium of intergenerational healing, bridging the disjointed perceptions of past and present to forge a renewed, albeit fragmented, sense of belonging.

Similarly, Addin Sugarda’s work transforms the inherited weight of cultural expectations into intricate ceramic sculptures and installations. Reimagining Javanese heirlooms, Sugarda challenges traditional notions of filial piety within contemporary Indonesian society. Their performative practice, incorporating vocalisations and shadow puppetry, expands on the cathartic act of reshaping inherited narratives, offering a visceral meditation on emancipation and the evolving relationship between heritage and individuality.

Together, Raghav and Addin navigate the delicate balance between reverence and rupture, weaving their personal narratives into broader cultural discourses. Their works engage viewers in a contemplative space where the deeply personal becomes a lens for understanding collective experiences of memory, loss, and transformation. Through this exhibition, the artists invite us to reflect on how we reconstruct identity amidst the residues of history and tradition, forging new pathways toward healing and liberation.

Image | Raghav Kumar, from “All that remains are memories” 2023.