Mathushaa S. is a fashion photographer, stylist and creative director, who has a strong interest in fine art, contemporary fashion and styling. While studying at Ravensbourne University London, she discovered and fell in love with fashion photography. After studying fine art photography at Camberwell College of Arts, her love for fashion photography was solidified. Her work often examines her identity - Tamil Eelam ethnicity and British nationality, which is a really pivotal part of her art and creative process.

Tell us about your early years and where you are from.

I was born and raised in London but ethnically my parents are from Jaffna (which is in Sri Lanka) and honestly don't really remember much from my childhood until I moved to a different area in North London around age 7/8.

What type of neighborhood did you grow up in?

I've always lived in North London but as a child I grew up in Tottenham until I was 8 and then moved to the Golders Green area. It was a big change if I'm being honest. It was slightly more pretentious but that was mainly because of the people that were around me. I know that Tottenham has a reputation for being slightly 'rough' and 'dangerous', but growing up at that time, it wasn't like that. Based on childhood photos and some vague memories, I was quite happy there.

What do your parents mean to you?

I guess a sense of security as they are people I can turn to and rely on. They have taught me a lot and have played a part in framing who I am as a person but also for me, they are a really strong connection to my Tamil heritage (something that is really key for my work) and culture.

Tell us more about your journey to becoming comfortable in your own skin. Walk us through that.

I was always quite comfortable in my skin in terms of colour (of course I faced moments/comments of a racist nature, found it to be annoying and brushed past it when I was younger) but I did have moments where I did feel like I was "other". I felt it in moments when I was speaking about aspects of my Tamil heritage/culture and people just thought it was weird and it wasn't the norm. However those aspects of my identity are something that I embraced when I was around 17/18, just starting university. I realised that I really shouldn't care about peoples' negative opinions especially those that really don't impact my life. I realized I shouldn’t brush past the things that are actually really important to me, just to fit in - it's not worth it.

Did/do you ever feel pressured to surround yourself with people who look like you OR didn’t look like you?

There was never any pressure to either surround myself with people who look like me or don't. It was more so the natural environments I found myself in. Some were full of people who didn't look like me at all, something that I never really had an issue with. I have encountered people who don’t understand my work and such, which has made me feel alienated. But through the work I create, I have come across more and more South Asian people and creatives. It’s great because of the family/ community vibes that some of my shoots have but more importantly, these people also have an understanding of certain aspects of Tamil/ south Asian culture that I'm interested in.

How has being first generation Tamil-British influenced your life and how has it impacted how much you embrace your family culture?

Growing up in London has meant that certain values and beliefs that I have are more open/westernised compared to that of South Asia, such as view of education and being expected to study something really academic; but in the same vein, I have embraced more and more aspects of my Tamil culture - from various religious/ cultural traditions to music and film.

Who understands you the best in your family?

For me it's definitely my mum, especially because she has really contributed and taught me so much about Tamil culture which has been reflected in my projects.

What exactly do you do for work?

I'm still a photography student, but on the side, I do intern for a few South Asian , female run businesses, platforms and magazines, which really involves content creating and fashion photography. I definitely do see myself working in the creative industry and something quite fashion-based.

What would you like to make more time for in your life and why?

For me it is seeing and actually spending time with people - family and friends that I love and care about. It has been quite difficult currently being in a lockdown, which is irritating at times and crazy to think there are certain people that I haven’t seen for almost 2 years because of the pandemic.

What do you struggle with on a day-to-day basis?

Before it was the UK being in a third lockdown and feeling so stuck at home and limited, especially since I’m someone who is an extrovert and always meeting and working with people. When the rules began to ease, it made life a lot easier in terms of creative work and seeing people I care about. Feeling less confined to my home has also improved my routine.

What have you always wanted to try?

For me right now the first thing that comes to mind, is doing more videography work within my creative practice but also being more in front of the camera for shoots that aren't just my own.

If you started your own non-profit, what would we be the goal/mission?

I guess it would be something creative/a community for South Asians. Not sure what exactly but definitely some sort of platform to connect/ network with each other and maybe showcase the type of work we do.

Given the choice of anyone in the world, dead or alive, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

If I was given the choice to have anyone as a dinner guest, it would be M.I.A (who is an English rapper, singer, record producer, and activist) - for so many reasons. Her music is incredible and I love how she incorporates her Tamil identity into her music whilst also trying to highlight and bring more and more awareness to Tamil genocide and the difficulties that Tamil people have faced. She's honest and doesn't sugarcoat things to put across this image of perfection like some celebrities do - she's very real and raw.

What’s the title of your quarter-life biography?

Brown F*cking Magic - I used it as a title for this interview with an amazing magazine called BolByAnva - it was such a fun piece. I remember Alyssa (the founder of Bol) asked me how I would describe my photography style and “Brown F*cking Magic” was literally the first thing that came to mind. Thinking about it, it not only represents my work but me as an artist and person, too.

What’s your superpower?

Communication. I say this because my work often revolves around collaborating with others and it is so important for me to make the model feel comfortable and happy with what I'm doing but also to make sure it's not an environment where I'm just taking pretty photos of them. I like to get know someone and let them share their creative input. Models are more than just a pretty face, they have a story, too.

How do you want to be seen? How do you want to be remembered?

According to my mum, my name, “Mathushaa” means to make people happy and as an artist that creates Brown F*cking Magic and continues to bring more and more authentic representation of the South Asian community, I would like to be remembered by name as it represents another aspect of my Tamil heritage.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Lockdown gave me time to find new ways to keep busy and stay creative, which kept me motivated but also distracted from the pandemic. However, having this time has really given me the chance to think about where I want my creative career to go and motivated me to get involved with various platforms and opportunities, where my goals align well with their ethos. I think that collaborating, networking and saying yes to opportunities can lead to unexpired but amazing outcomes. I write more about tips and tricks on my blog here: https://www.mathushaasagthidasphotography.co.uk/blog

Publish date: April 26, 2021