In Ontario, Yours to Discover is the slogan on licence plates (although the words are about to change). For Zinnia Naqvi, the phrase triggers memories of immigration to Canada from Pakistan. Her tableaux vivants (living pictures) address common newcomer experiences, featuring props, ephemera and family photos from tourist attractions. Above: The Wanderers – Niagara Falls, 1988, 2019.

These works take the form of a large-scale photographic triptych for the façade of the Peel Art Gallery in Brampton, “where more than half of its residents are new immigrants, and visible minorities account for the majority of its population, particularly those of South Asian descent.” – ScotiaBank Contact Photography Festival event summary.

Keep Off the Grass – Cullen Gardens and Miniature Village, 1988, 2019

Zinnia Naqvi’s website, here.

The exhibit at the Brampton gallery runs May 19 through Oct 20.