Reclaimed Memories,
Inclusive Futures
Installation

Showing at Clayton Community Centre:
September 2024 - August 2025

Artists: Amal Ishaque & Erv Newcombe,
Cambium Arts (scroll to the end for bios)

This installation seamlessly blends together visual art created collaboratively with Clayton community of all ages, culturally significant textiles and historical images researched from the several archives: Surrey, White Rock, Maple Ridge and Langley.

The work shines a light on the historic and current diversity of communities in the area, raises awareness of the archives and encourages community members to connect these histories to collective futures.

Inspired by the need to ensure better representation of racialized communities in historical records, we honour what already exists while engaging with the question of what is missing.

The installation was fully constructed by the artists - including all of the rigging mechanisms, sewing, fabrication, swaging, design elements, assembly - in order to create a mobile configuration. The design allows ambient air currents to move the panels, constantly shifting between independence and interweaving with other panels/communities. Key panels acknowledge Indigenous territories, history and current presence.

Panels:

Courtesy of Erv Newcombe. Grave marker for the Scott family in Surrey Centre Cemetery. They were one of the earliest Black families to settle in Surrey (Cloverdale) in 1912.

Courtesy of Surrey Archives, 2017.0022.95.387.6, 2017.0022.95-387.27. Rainbow Marketplace/ Afro-Caribbean event. 1995.

Courtesy of Maple Ridge Museum and Archives, P08993. The Peter Pierre family, Katzie First Nation. From left to right: Margaret, Xavier, Peter, Matilda, Catherine (Peter’s wife), and Amanda Mary Pierre. Peter Pierre was a medicine person. He was instrumental in creating a written record of Katzie history and laws. Their older son Simon was absent. He had gone to England with a delegation of BC Chiefs led by Chief Joseph Capilano to meet with King Edward VII and protest the ban on potlatches and the broken promises of land claims. 1906.

Territories Panel, designed by Erv Newcombe. Featuring a land acknowledgement of some of the First Nations territories that Clayton Community Centre is located on.

Courtesy of Surrey Archives, SA1992.036.1366. Mr. and Mrs. Chow at Stephen’s Market in Sunnyside. 1963.

Clayton Futures Panel. Created with children and youth from the Clayton community, using potato prints, linocuts and antique block prints.

Courtesy of Surrey Archives, SA1992.036.3518. Jage Singh’s Vegetables in Cloverdale. 1965.

Courtesy of Surrey Archives, Pre-emption Map. Showing Surrey and the Clayton area in the past. 1897.

Courtesy of Surrey Archives, 2017.0022.96-684.10. Street hockey. 1996.

Community Mural. A fabric mural painted with Clayton community members of different ages. Featuring native plants.

Courtesy of Surrey Archives, 2019.0019.01. From left to right: Tom Inouye, Ed Takahashi, and George Hirasawa outside Queen Elizabeth School. 1941. Tom’s father, Zennosuke Inouye is believed to be the only Japanese Canadian from Surrey to successfully fight the Canadian government and get his land returned after internment. 

Courtesy of Langley Centennial Museum, 3459. Thomas “Tommy” Fillardeau, of mixed Métis/Kwantlen heritage. Served during the Second World War.

Courtesy of White Rock Museum and Archives, 2000-11-18. David Andrew Charles, Semiahmoo Nation. Served during the Second World War. Sent off to Europe as an underage teenager. 1945.

Artist Bios - Cambium Arts

Amal Ishaque is a multidisciplinary artist, Pushcart Prize nominated poet and award winning arts educator. Amal is currently an Artist in Residence for Changing the Conversation, a three year, interdisciplinary arts residency focused on shifting the narrative on housing insecurity. The residency is in partnership with Douglas College, the Arts Council of New West, the City of New Westminster and others. Reclaiming forgotten histories and celebrating mother tongues often rendered invisible have been central to Amal’s practice. Amal has received support from the Banff Centre, Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation and BC Arts Council, amongst others. Amal is a member of CARFAC.

Erv Newcombe is based out of unceded Musqueam territories. Erv’s multidisciplinary art practice includes sculpture in several mediums, kinetic art, print making, drawing, puppet making, ephemeral art and prop and set design/construction. Erv’s performance art practice includes playwriting, directing, clowning and street theatre. Erv’s unique background includes a variety of arts residencies, public art and extensive facilitation skills in environmental education and experiential training for diverse communities, including seniors and equity denied youth. Erv is a member of CARFAC.