Margin of Eras Gallery

November 24, 2017

“Not a Robot”, in an art series which depicts how migrant workers are treated as disposable machines and not as human beings. A lot of migrant workers face so many systemic problems and the objective of this art project is to shed light on this issues. “Not a robot” are words that you commonly hear from these migrant workers. As a caregiver and migrant worker myself, this art series  puts visuals on the experiences that mere words can’t explain. It is a continuing story from my previous 8-piece art series “Life of a Caregiver” showing the day to day experience of a caregiver which I drew using an ipad. As an artist, I had to be resourceful in finding ways to express myself  in art and the ipad was the only resource I had at that moment. The grant will make the concepts to reality and I will be able to incorporate these concepts into a high quality art and show it in my watercolour practice.  Through this project, it will be an eye-opener for the public to realize what is happening right in Canada’s backyard.

“Not a robot” will not only be focused on telling the stories of caregivers but all migrants workers  who lives on the margin.  It is 6-piece art series, each of which shows different scenarios of what these ”robot” workers face and how the system enables structured path to exploitation. Each piece will represent one of the six major Stages of the Lives of Migrant Workers: Recruitment, Applying for Work Permit, Working and living in Canada, Being fired, Finding a New Employer, Applying for Permanent Residency. 

One scenario depicts a conveyor belt with robots from different countries carrying all their savings on hand and they are being received in Canada by “ghost” employers who just take their money and disappear. This is a common experience for Caregivers, called ‘released upon arrival” - where the promised job doesn’t exist. 

The hopes of "Not a robot " art series is to give voice to those migrant workers who struggle to survive daily and reach out a diverse audience, and will challenge people’s view of migrants workers and how the government has impacted on their working and living conditions.