Hardeep Dhindsa is a recent PhD graduate from King’s College London where he focused on Early Modern Europe. He received an MSc in Classical Art and Archaeology and an MA in the History of Art, both from the University of Edinburgh, as well as a Foundation Diploma in Art & Design from the University of the Arts London, which he uses to create art critiquing the establishment of ‘Classics’. His recently published doctoral thesis centers on the eighteenth century “Grand Tour” undertaken by British aristocracy, and how the intersection of empire, the contemporary socio-political landscape, and interests in the Classical world helped to shape White British identity in the past and present. In addition to his thesis, Hardeep has published a variety of articles and chapters relating to Whiteness, Orientalism, and the grand tour. Hardeep is also an illustrator, who plays with the use of exaggerated colour and polychromy in the reimagining of classical sculpture as a reminder that “we paint history with our own palette.”
Listen in, as Dr. Dhindsa discusses colonialism and Whiteness, and the use of Classics in upholding these narratives.
Interested in more information? Check out these publications from Hardeep Dhindsa.
Dhindsa, Hardeep Singh. ‘“Strange and Uncouth”: Exoticism and Orientalism in British Responses to the Eighteenth-Century Excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum’. Res Difficiles 1, no. 2 (2024): 8–29.
Dhindsa, Hardeep. 2021. “The Carters’ APESHIT gave me a glimpse of the postcolonial museum.” Sportula Europe.
Dhindsa, Hardeep Singh. 2021. “Where Next?”. In The Routledge Handbook of Classics, Colonialism, and Postcolonial Theory, edited by K. Blouin and B. Akriff, 655-660. Routledge.
Dhindsa, Hardeep. 2020. “What Studying Classics Taught me about my Relationship with Western Civilisation.” Council of University Classics Department.
Dhindsa, Hardeep. 2023. ‘White British Identity on the Grand Tour (1756-185),’ Leverhulme Trust 2022 Annual Review: 44-45.
Looking for a transcript of this episode? Click here.
Academic Publications
Reilly, Matthew C. 2022. “Archaeologies of Whiteness.” Archaeological Dialogues 29, no. 1: 51–66.
Lather, Amy. 2021. “Classics Beyond Whiteness: An Interview.” Sententiae Antiquae.
Yaffe, Deborah. 2021. “The Color of Classics | Princeton Alumni Weekly.” Princeton Alumni Weekly.
Eccleston, Sasha-Mae, and Dan-El Padilla Peralta. 2022. “Racing The Classics: Ethos and Praxis.” American Journal of Philology 143, no. 2: 199-218.
Open Access Resources
Bostick, Dani. 2021. “The Classical Roots of White Supremacy.” Learning for Justice. https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/spring-2021/the-classical-roots-of-white-supremacy
Bryant, Janeen, Barbara Cohen-Stratyner, Stacey Mann, and Levon Williams. 2021. “The White Supremacy Elephant in the Room – American Alliance of Museums.” American Alliance of Museums.
Hill, Nadhira. 2023. “BIPOC Feature: Hardeep Singh Dhindsa.” Notes from the Apotheke, 2023.
Illing, Sean. 2019. “Why the alt-right loves ancient Greece and Rome.” Vox.
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