The new exhibition by the magazine Burnt Roti is being showcased at Gunnersbury Park Museum
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY SM VISUALS
Burnt Roti, a magazine which profiles South Asian talent, has worked with Gunnersbury Park Museum to create the UK’s first-ever South Asian trans and non-binary exhibition. This groundbreaking exhibition opened on 8 December and will be running until 5 June 2024.
Using iconic cover stars from Burnt Roti, this exhibition acts as a celebration of the South Asian trans and non-binary community. Burnt Roti was founded by Sharan Dhaliwal to create a platform for young creatives to showcase their talent, find safe spaces and destigmatize topics around mental health and sexuality.
Issue 4 of the magazine was dedicated to profiling and capturing the voices of South Asian trans and non-binary people. “This is a space for trans, non-binary and/or gender non-conforming South Asians to speak their truth,” Sharan wrote in her editor’s letter. “With great love, admiration and kinfolk to the family. We love you, we see you, you’re important.”
Featured in this new exhibition is Shash Appan (she/her) who is the co-founder of Trans Aid Cymru, a mutual aid organisation for trans people in Wales. On the new exhibition, she said: “I felt really privileged to share this platform with some truly wonderful people, and we look pretty cool, which I like.”
Another Burnt Roti cover star is author and co-founder of Trans Pride Brighton Sabah Choudrey (they/he). “I used to come to Gunnersbury Park & Museum as a child,” they said. “As a trans person you never expect to see yourself in museums – our erasure throughout history is evident. So going into Gunnersbury Museum and seeing these beautiful photos of South Asian trans people, Shiva Shash, and myself (!) covering the walls is just so incredibly affirming. We belong here and we exist.”
You can find out more about Burnt Roti here: https://www.burntroti.com/, and more about the Gunnersbury Park & Museum here: https://www.visitgunnersbury.org/whats-on/exhibitions/
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