Sherrie Edgar: “We are more than just white and black – we are both, or more”
The artist on historical legacies, learning to express her mixedness and how art pushes the conversation forwards
Hi, welcome back to Mixed Messages! This week I’m speaking to artist Sherrie Edgar, who is of mixed South Asian, Dutch and Irish heritage. Sherrie is another member of Mixed Rage Collective, whose Unapologetically Other exhibition is showing at Birmingham’s Midlands Arts Centre. Sherrie’s awareness of the context around mixed families was fascinating, so I’m excited to share her story below.
Can you tell me a bit about your racial background?
My immediate family is South Asian, Dutch and Irish. I was born in Coventry, a city which is always reinventing itself. The city is over 33% non-white British, higher than the average in the country.
Between the 1940s and 1960s, people from India, Pakistan and the Caribbean settled in the city, leading the way for manufacturing, electronics, engineering, aviation and more. There was a great nightlife culture, where people of all cultures met and danced, and that’s where my parents met.
I grew up in a white neighbourhood, where no one looked like me. I tried to fit in the best I could, denying any form of difference. There was constant questioning from people, which made me doubt who I was, but I had limited information to tell people. I’m still learning now. I only walked into a temple in 2017, and I didn’t know what to do.
It’s extremely hard to define yourself as one ethnicity. What it means to be mixed-race is changing, and I feel like it’s up to us to challenge ethnic identity.
Did you feel connected to your culture growing up?
No. I was brought up at a time when multiracial relationships were frowned upon – my parents experienced racist abuse. I had to grow up as if I was white, and I never knew the different ethnic backgrounds of my family. History was put aside and the emphasis was just to get on.
I ate British food, wore high-street fashion and played with Western toys. The Thatcher era encouraged the public to fear immigration, and this hostile approach promoted segregation and inequalities.
How have you explored your mixedness through your work?
I explore ‘lost’ identity in my work. Divide and Rule is a three-minute film about how the famous diamond Koh-i-Noor was taken from India to exploit people and their land for the coloniser’s own gain. I also explored the feeling of wanting to justify who you are as a mixed person, the tensions and psychological effects of not knowing where you fit. It’s problematic to feel like you don’t exist to the masses or to not be recognised as a person.
A still from Divide and Rule
Being Mixed, a photographic series and film, showcases these complexities. Sometimes the family dynamic hasn’t been the right place to speak about being mixed. This film demonstrates the beauty of who we are, as well as the ugly dogmatic attitude towards people like us. We’re human too, we shouldn’t be wiped out of history.
I think arts can help that dialogue, like Mixed Rage Collective. More public talks and mediums to provide nuance to the subject are an ideal way to shift stereotypes.
A still from Being Mixed
What’s it been like working with Mixed Rage Collective?
It’s been a safe space for us to open up these conversations, share personal experiences and break down barriers so we can understand one another. I’ve felt empowered to embrace where my family is from. I’ve only revealed a small part of this, because I started with nothing. The older generation are more private, whereas now we’re more open to speaking about different ethnicities.
In the group, we all relate to not being able to tick any ethnic group in a census from 1991 to 2001. We had to tick ‘other.’ Our exhibition is our way to say we are unapologetically other, because we can’t help who our ancestors are. We’ve chosen to embrace and express what it means to be us. We are more than just white and black, we are both, or more. We can define who we are for ourselves. I think accepting who you are is the biggest growth you can do for yourself.
Guests at the Unapologetically Other exhibition
What's the best thing about being mixed?
When you’re young, you’re less likely to embrace being mixed. When you’re older, there’s a sense of finding who you are, and seeing the joys in what other cultures have to offer. That’s the best thing. People of mixed heritage also have an awareness of difference and cultural competence. We respectfully understand one another, and can help strengthen relationships. These positive attitudes are a powerful advantage.
Can you define your mixed identity in one word?
Unorthodox.
See Unapologetically Other at the Midlands Arts Centre for free now. Next week I’ll be talking to Ackley Bridge actress Laila Zaidi. Subscribe to get Mixed Messages in your inbox on Monday to find out.
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Mixed Messages is a weekly exploration of the mixed-race experience, from me, Isabella Silvers. My mom is Punjabi (by way of East Africa) and my dad is white British, but finding my place between these two cultures hasn’t always been easy. That’s why I started Mixed Messages, where each week I’ll speak to a prominent mixed voice to delve into what it really feels like to be mixed.
Love this part: "People of mixed heritage also have an awareness of difference and cultural competence." It's interesting how contending with identity sharpens one's eye for cultural nuance.