SHURJO MUKHI X SAADA
About "Coming Home"
Artwork inspired by the campaign that successfully renamed a section of Shattuck Avenue in downtown Berkeley as Kala Bagai Way.
SHURJO MUKHI X SAADA
Behind the Design
Shurjo Mukhi’s artwork for “Coming Home” was inspired by the campaign that successfully renamed a section of Shattuck Avenue in downtown Berkeley as Kala Bagai Way, as shared in the “Kala Bagai” essay in Our Stories.
Who was Kala Bagai?
Kala Bagai arrived in San Francisco on September 6, 1915 with her husband, Vaishno Das Bagai, and their three young sons, Brij, Madan, and Ram. During a period where most South Asian migrants were men, Kala Bagai was one of the very few South Asian women in the entire country. Her arrival as the “first Hindu woman to enter the city in ten years” was reported in the San Francisco Call-Post, and the paper focused on her nose ring—“the latest fad from India.”
Introducing the Artist: Shurjo Mukhi
Shreya/shurjo mukhi is a Bengali multimedia artist. They hope to always create and reimagine with community—to use art as a way to manifest healthy loves and ways of being in real and dream worlds. They enjoy using colors, textures, and a mix of medias in both finding and sharing their growing voice.
Instagram: @gentlesuns
Art portfolio: shurjomukhi.art
Email: gentlesuns.art@gmail.com
Historical Context: Kala Bagai's Oral History Interview
Rani Bagai
Rani Bagai, the granddaughter of Kala Bagai, shares about her grandmother and the story behind her grandmother’s oral history interview, a catalyst for the campaign that created Kala Bagai Way.
"…it's helped me so much to feel a sense of belonging to the city of Berkeley."
Anirvan Chatterjee and Barnali Ghosh
Anirvan and Barnali, the organizers who led the campaign for Kala Bagai Way, share about its impact on the community and themselves.
"...I think Kala Bagai's story itself is so grounded in community..."
Explore More
Shurjo Mukhi
Shreya/shurjo mukhi is a Bengali multimedia artist. They hope to always create and reimagine with community—to use art as a way to manifest healthy loves and ways of being in real and dream worlds.
Vaishno Das and Kala Bagai Family Materials
Explore Kala Bagai's life and story in SAADA's archive of photographs, newspaper clippings, and more.
Berkeley South Asian Radical History Walking Tour
The Berkeley South Asian Radical History Walking Tour brings a century of South Asian American activist history to life, including the story of Kala Bagai Way.
Shop the "Coming Home" Collection
