Pioneers: Mathushaa Sagthidas

What does your work involve? 

I am a London-based freelance photographer, stylist, set designer and art director, with an interest in fine art and contemporary fashion. My work often examines my identity – my Tamil Eelam ethnicity and British nationality.
 
My photography has been featured by a range of brands including Amazon, Wolf & Badger, Fashion United, Deezer, Dishoom and Bloomsbury, publications such as The Glass Magazine, gal-dem and THIIIRD, websites such as It’s Nice That, Fashion Minority Report and The Photographers’ Gallery, and in exhibitions at Tate Britain, PhotoFusion, BBH London, Lake Gallery, Camberwell Space and Rankin x Maryland Studio. It’s also been shown on billboards across the UK and in a solo show with Bow Arts.

What inspires you?

My family and our history have definitely been a huge inspiration within my work and a massive contribution to who I’ve become as a creative and person. Identity, authenticity and representation are important to me because of my parents’ upbringing and experiences during the Sri Lankan Civil War, which began in 1983. The history of the war, their own personal suffering and experiences led me to learn and embrace my ethnic culture, traditions and heritage more and more.  

I never thought I would say this, but I was somewhat grateful for COVID purely because it opened up the idea of our collaborations going beyond words. Whenever I had questions regarding our history, Tamil traditions, culture and how being Hindu and Tamil is intertwined, my Amma (mum) was, and still is, always so ready to answer them. The pandemic gave us the opportunity to work to bring some of these aspects of being Tamil to life. Creating projects together gave me the space and opportunity to ask questions so openly about our history, which helped me figure out who I am as a creative and the messages I wanted my work to have. It helped me become comfortable and unquestionable in the creative I was becoming.

Thank you, Amma.

What message would you give to the next generation? 

My advice to the next generation would be: be yourself. As much as you might have heard it before or as cliché as it might be, I really do feel it is important. My journey wasn’t always easy but one of the biggest things I have learned is that people will always have something to say, but you don’t always have to listen – take it with a pinch of salt.