Walking into the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum this November during Peace month feels less like stepping into an exhibition and more like stepping into someone’s life. Stories That Made Us: Roots, Resilience, Representation isn’t your typical gallery experience. It’s a deeply personal, living, breathing love letter to South Asian heritage, told through the eyes of one Coventry family whose story echoes across generations.
Curated by the brilliant Hardish Virk, this immersive exhibition unfolds across four rooms, each one capturing a moment in time. From the hopeful chaos of 1960s migration to the rhythm and rebellion of 1980s youth culture, all the way to the vibrant hum of a 1990s radio studio that brought poetry and music into homes across the West Midlands.
You start your journey at Passport Control. Surrounded by photographs of Hardish’s family in India and newspaper clippings of the struggles and triumphs of migrant communities, you can almost feel the heartbeat of those who arrived here decades ago, chasing opportunity and dignity.
Then comes the Living Room, a reimagining of the Virk family home in 1970s Coventry. It’s homely, warm, filled with that quiet power that only family spaces hold. This was where Hardish’s father, Harbhajan Singh Virk, hosted meetings of the Indian Workers’ Association, the same organisation that helped shape Coventry’s stand against racism and inequality. A stunning short film directed by Manjinder Virk and starring Bally Gill (of Slow Horses and Sherwood) brings these moments alive with emotion so raw you can feel it in your chest.
The Bedroom takes us into the 1980s, a space that feels familiar, nostalgic, and wonderfully creative in the only way youth can be. Posters, cassette tapes, books, and scribbles capture what it meant to grow up British-born and South Asian, balancing two worlds with pride, confusion, and creativity. A two-screen film by Manjinder Virk blends interviews and 1980s VHS footage to explore identity and belonging. It’s intimate, funny, and reflective, a reminder that identity isn’t static; it’s something we build, remix, grow into and pass down.
And finally, the Radio Station. This room honours Hardish’s mother, Jasvir Kang, a poet and broadcaster who hosted Punjabi radio shows that became a lifeline for so many. Her voice fills the space, warm and melodic, reminding us that connection often begins with sound, with someone on the other end of the airwaves saying, you are not alone.
Each room tells its own story, but together they create something much bigger, a reflection of belonging, resilience, and the power of everyday people to shape history. Coventry, with its deep roots in migration and multicultural solidarity, feels like the perfect place for this exhibition to bloom. It’s not just about South Asian heritage. It’s about Britain itself, about who we are when we choose to listen, learn, and celebrate the stories that made us.
Hardish says it best: “At its heart, this is a human story. One family’s journey that invites everyone to connect and find their own reflection.”
Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and created in partnership with Riverbird Films, Coventry Archives, and Coventry Artspace, Stories That Made Us: Roots, Resilience, Representation is one of Herbert’s most ambitious projects yet, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s world-class storytelling rooted in community pride and the belief that heritage belongs to everyone.
Whether you’re South Asian, Coventry-born, or simply curious about the stories that shape us, this exhibition is a reminder that our past is something to honour, nurture, and keep alive.
Special mention and thanks to Hardish Virk and Shaniece Martin for inviting us to the press view. The hard work truly paid off. Magnificent exhibition, heart gripping storytelling. Pure art and authenticity in all its mediums.
Stories That Made Us: Roots, Resilience, Representation opens at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum on Friday 14 November 2025 and runs until May 2026. Trust me, this is one you’ll want to experience with your heart wide open.
Written by Cass Floresca.