This is an extension of a legacy created by a t-shirt given to Thai-Indian artist Navin Rawanchaikul many years ago during a visit to his mother’s ancestral home in what is today the Pakistani Punjab region. The t-shirt was printed with the word ‘Gujranwala’, his mother’s birthplace in the Punjab region. In subsequent years, it became a talking point for members of the Indian diaspora who Navin met during his many journeys of self-discovery. The t-shirt, which also played a starring role in both book and video narrating Navin’s odyssey to Wonderfruit, helped the artist to forge connections with people who share the same peripatetic background and it speaks of his exploration of what it means to belong to a particular culture and place and how it feels to be removed from that zone of comfort.

Today, Navin values this favorite old t-shirt as a communications tool and it has inspired him to offer an interactive workshop through which anyone can create their own original t-shirt featuring their hometown, birthplace or even their own fantasy land. Each t-shirt will include a label for the creator to annotate their story. However, as a means of promoting a sense of community and communication, instead of taking away their own creations, each t-shirt will be entered into a lucky draw for someone else to win and keep.

Participants will be invited to share their experiences and connect with the person who receives their t-shirt design. The ultimate goals of the workshop are to help people make new connections and friendships and to spread creativity.