Dhanmatie Singh (also known as Dhana) is a painter, teacher and an activist of Guyanese descent. An art and chocolate junkie, she once painted a 50-foot-wide mural wrapped around a beach-themed restaurant. She paints the world as an activist and ally. Her creations are stark and direct, with vivid colours, a distinctive emotional appeal, and clear composition around intense themes such as the resilience of Indo-Caribbean women, violence against women, and post-colonial violence and resistance. As a teen, Dhanmatie felt restricted in her role as an Indo-Caribbean Canadian woman and dreamt of revolution. Seeking identity, she became deeply engaged in women’s rights and expressed that through art, writing, and public speaking. She joined Diva: A Quarterly Journal of Women of South Asian Origin in the early ‘90s, a grassroots organization in Toronto that created an alternate platform for feminist dialogue for women of colour that eventually became part of a worldwide wave of liberation to gaining an anti-oppression perspective within our human rights framework. The journal allowed her a voice where she made content-driven art pieces for articles, art for its aesthetic content, and painted posters for women’s conferences. She worked with Diva as part of the Editorial Collective and an Assistant Art Director. Now, Dhanmatie is a Social Service Worker, a third-year student at York University achieving her Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies degree, and an art instructor working within the vulnerable sector. Pre-pandemic, she joined the Jamaican Partnership with Seneca College to provide services to struggling marginalized communities in Kingston, Jamaica. Dozens of Dhanmatie’s beautiful, commission-based paintings have been sold since her days at Diva. Revolution still stirs frequently in her heart.
Follow Dahmatie on InstaGram
@dhanmatie11
Contact Dhanmatie
dhana.hartman@gmail.com
At the June 24, 2022 gathering of Surrey Muse, Dhanmatie will begin the Open Mic session. More about the event is here: friday-june-24
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