location: LOS ANGELES, CA .Lat. 37° 46' 20.36 N, Lon.  122° 12' 53.63" W. location updated - Wednesday, May 13, 2009 8:05 PM

Nova Scotia, Canada- "From Africa to Africville". "I ride into the future seeking to unravel the past; a dark past of one of Canada's little known and often forgotten towns - Africville. The story of Africville is arguably one of the darkest humanitarian blemishes on this country's flag. I travel here in the dead of winter, through snow storms and sickness to introduce you to this very similar horrific tale, of a town that once was - now only a memory to those who lived there; a simple dog park to those unaware of this sacred ground's past." - Kishan Munroe

Kishan spends quality time with original members of the lost town of Africville, Nova Scotia. Africville was a small, self-sustaining town just on the Bedford Basin of Nova Scotia's waterfront; this real estate was a prime piece of land that was granted to them by the Queen. Canadian governmental officials, in a act to steal this land away from these black Canadian citizens engaged in a series of cruel and inhumane actions which drove the people out of the town under the guise of urbanization; forceable relocation it was! They destroyed the houses and lives of many only to convert the land into a dog park. The remainder is now used as a sea port and a rail way runs through the center of the old town.

Chinese New Year, NY city- A "new" New Year - Walking throught time at the pace of a different culture. During his second trip to New York Kishan had the opportunity to document the various ways and dates that different cultures celebrate the new year and Christmas / the holiday season. There he visits and speaks with members from varying religions in order to gain knowledge as to the signifigance of these dates and practices to the people of their cultures and religions.

Kishan focuses on the Chinese New Year in China Town, NY. He follows the movements of a dragon procession tracking the participants all the way back to their inner-city homestead. There they engage in a most interesting exchange of cultural knowledge and give and outstanding performance for the curious visiting artist.

Washington DC (Inauguration)- Rebirth of A Nation - Documentating Modern Revolution. For the most anticipated and unpresidented presidential inauguration Kishan packs up his cameras and heads to Washington DC. For the next few days he works himself through the heart of the action as the whole world gravitates toward the nation's "power houses".

Kishan focuses not only on the actions of the political events that transpired but also the reactions of the masses that gathered by the thousands. The artist examines these series of events from his unique perspective, documenting everything from his arrival into Washington DC, accounts of personal interactions with individuals from all over the world, as well as the negativity and conflict which usually accompanies large gatherings of human beings. For this historic moment Kishan was there and captured a perspective and mood seldom shown in mainstraim media.

"I chose to document 'my-story' instead of relying on 'history' because sometimes 'he' lies." - Kishan Munroe.

HAITI - Beyond the Headlines - A Documentation Based On Reality Rather Than Sensationalism. "Haiti is a place that must be experienced and not just researched in books or viewed on television, to better understand the country and the plight of the contemporary Haitian people. My time spent in Haiti was enlightening beyond measure, affording me the opportunity to see many places and experience many things I would not have, had I not taken the initiative to seek awareness for myself." - Kishan Munroe.

This examination of the Haitian people began while in the Bahamas, as Kishan delved into the varied situations of Haitian migrants, their lifestyles, and their stories of desperation to escape the turmoil that exists in present day Haiti. Kishan trekked the Haitian experience, from everyday life to the catastrophe of mass death at sea; the ultimate consequence met by many illegally seeking refuge. Not only were the obvious negatives examined but also an unparelled beauty one discovers if the nation is truly explored.

TRINIDAD - Conversations With Real Men - Examining the Mentality of the Everyday Man to Better Undersatand a People. This was Kishan's second trip to Trinidad. Earlier this year he had the opportunity to experience Carnival and its festivities. The reason for this was three-fold: to investigate the difference in attitudes and relations within the populace during Carnival (apparently there is a dramatic decrease in crime and violence during this celebratory season, however after its conclusion high levels of criminal activity and violence return to ever rising levels); to document and archive the similarities between the cultural expressions of Trinidad and other Caribbean countries (namely Carnival and Junkanoo); and to examine the apparent Indo/Afro conflict.

Kishan examines the apparent situations from the unique perspective of an artist, using his creative work to capture the truness of his experience.

GUYANA With paintbrush and camera in hand, artist Kishan Munroe has planned an ambitious trek around the world. Through his imagery, he'll tell the many and varied stories of human struggles and triumphs in the hope of finding a common ground.

Kishan commenced the first leg of his ambitious journey in Guyana which was host to CARICOM's 10th annual CARIFESTA celebration. There he examined the various cultural expressions specifically noting the commonalities within the people of the participating nations. After CARIFESTA had ended Kishan stayed behind in order to explore this third world nation more in-depth. Included in his online documentation are interviews from the survivors of the massacre at Lusignan, Munroe's personal experience trecking the "illegal" path through the Guyanese/Surinamese border as well as footage from CARIFESTA 10.

BAHAMAS  Presently there is a strong Haitian presence in the Bahamas society. Kishan goes deep into the heart of these villages and plants himself within the Haitian community in order to better understand the culture and the plight of the Haitian immigrant in the Bahamas. Kishan tackles issues of religion, mortality, criminality, discrimination and other social misconceptions and taboos. Munroe is able to capture the moments of the reality of this Haitian existance, transferring them to a platform where they can be experienced by the masses and hopefully understood.

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