There are many threads that bind the global Indian diaspora. In naming traditions, we find one such connecting chord. Navin Rawanchaikul brings to the fore the commonalities shared by the global Indian diaspora and communities around the world, through his long-term project Navinland, for which he sought out Navins around the world and staged art projects inspired by these connections. Navin grew up under the influence of both Thai and Indian cultures due to his diasporic roots. While he straddled both cultures, he never sought to disown either. His spouse is of Japanese origins, while his daughter has a dual Japanese and Thai-Indian identity. He felt that he and his family had identities that went beyond borders. His search for Navins beyond borders was inspired by this aspect of his personal experience. For Navinland he sought out namesakes outside of his home, Thailand.The artist notes that “the original name, Navin, comes from the Sanskrit language, it’s an ancient Indian language, and that means ‘new’. In Thailand we have borrowed from the language, Sanskrit, but with another meaning. It means discovery or the Navin, the traveller, the seafarer. They also have this Navin in Gaelic culture, it’s a big family name there. That’s the idea behind the Navin party and…we’ve been doing many projects in different countries and finding out about local culture.” This bust of Comrade Navin was created for an installation by the artist in Beijing, the premise being a coalition of the Navin’s of the world. This bust of Comrade Navin was made in 2008 as a multiple artwork in collaboration with Navarra Gallery in France. It was produced in about 500 editions. This bust is an Artist Proof (AF) edition so it would have been part of the first lot produced.
