May 29, 2025

First Citizens Sponsors Tribute to Indo-Caribbean Heritage

Press Release

First Citizens is pleased to announce its sponsorship of The Botanical Afterlife of Indenture: Imaginative Archives, a landmark exhibition commemorating the 180th anniversary of Indian presence in Trinidad and Tobago. This visionary cultural initiative highlights our rich Indo-Caribbean legacy through the lens of botany, visual art and feminine creativity, running from June 10, 6pm to June21, 6pm, 2025 at the Art Society of Trinidad and Tobago.

Curated as a multi-sensory artistic experience, the exhibition reimagines mehndi, traditionally a ceremonial and decorative art as a visual archive of indenture migration, history, healing, and transformation. Through photography, jewellery, rangoli, mehndi workshops, and an innovative audio visual installation, the exhibit traces the botanical contributions of Indian indentured workers, particularly women, and their descendants, exploring how flora like turmeric, tamarind, and moringa became emblems of survival, culture, and identity in the Caribbean.

“At First Citizens, we believe in the power of heritage to inform and inspire,” said Neela Moonilal-Kissoon – Group Deputy CEO – Operations and Administration of First Citizens. “Our support for this exhibition reflects our ongoing commitment to cultural preservation and education, particularly in honouring the contributions of Indian communities to our national identity and the Caribbean. This project is not only an artistic triumph but also a deeply moving tribute to generations of resilience, creativity, and legacy.”

Produced in collaboration with art collectives Parivartan and Sabrangi in Bihar, India, and a diverse Caribbean-diasporic team of photographers, designers, jewellers, and historians, the exhibition bridges continents and communities. Highlights include:
Photography capturing original mehndi designs, flora brought by indentured workers, and tools of women’s labour and livelihood
A Commissioned Bajuband (armlet) reflecting indenture-era jewellery designs and telling the story of women’s journey through the indenture experience to the present.
Rangoli Floor Art rooted in post-indenture mehndi motifs
An Audiovisual Archive sourced from across the Caribbean and diaspora
Interactive Workshops with renowned mehndi artists
Merchandise such as botanical design posters, postcards, tattoos, and artisan-made block-printed bags

The Botanical Afterlife of Indenture underscores the indelible impact of Indian culture on the Caribbean’s landscapes, diets, artistic practices, and spiritual traditions. By using mehndi as both art and archive, the exhibit centres women’s labour and creativity, and celebrates Indo-Caribbean life in all its beauty and complexity as inherited by us all.

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First Citizens Sponsors Tribute to Indo-Caribbean Heritage

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