Meet Mathushaa Sagthidas, a design and media graduate from Ravensbourne university. Mathushaa’s work is inspired by her Sri Lankan heritage and her desire to understand her parents’ experience of the Sri Lankan Civil War. Her journey of discovering more about her family history, Tamil cultural traditions and the Hindu religion have taught her to embrace rather than hide these aspects of her life, especially as a young Londoner. Read on to learn more about Mathushaa and her work.
What is the most valuable thing you have learnt at university?
My foundation is what inspired to take photography forward into my degree and especially fashion photography into my current work that revolves around my Tamil culture, heritage and traditions. My foundation experience is very different to my degree. It was an opportunity to create and make more collaborative project compared to my degree, which focuses more on your individual skills. Both experience are vital to create working and working in the industry; but creating collaborative project gave me the opportunity to work with so many creative people of different ethnic and creative backgrounds as well as interest. As well creating art with them, we all learnt from each other.
Tell us about your current projects and work, what have you been working on?
My previous project, ஒரு தீவிலிருந்து ஒரு நகரம் (A city away from an island), revolved around me focusing on my Tamil culture, heritage and tradition whilst bringing in elements of the city, London, that I was born and raised in through fashion. I was still curious to understand elements of traditions, history and heritage found in my previous work through possibly making props and elevating this further, by researching into key aspects that have impacted my cultural growth; aspects such as religion and history. To understand these broad words, I embarked on this journey into my parents lives as well as learning about my relationship with Hinduism.
Something that I did by understanding Hinduism’s sentimental place within my family home. I say sentimental as it was one the few thing my parents brought with them to London when fleeing from the Sri Lankan Civil war. A war that is important to reflect on within my projects, as it was my parents history and experience during the war that evoked my curiosity. However for me having experienced when I was younger talking about the pains and difficulties my parents experienced to other peers who thought I was lying, lead to me wanting to educate people about the Sri Lankan Civil War that never had that much media coverage.
What form does your work take?
Majority of my work, especially my current work takes the form of editorial images. Some pieces from ஒரு தீவிலிருந்து ஒரு நகரம் (A city away from an island) have been featured in an exhibition at the Lake Gallery. However I have also worked with and explored different mediums such as videography and performance art. Something that I did you my Lake Gallery exhibition, where I created something from my Tamil culture with my mum. A Kolam which is a rice flour based pattern with intricate and geometric line widely practised by female Hindu family members in front of their houses, to bring prosperity to the home, especially on religious festivals. Despite being really nervous as this was my was artist performance, it was really nostalgic and sentimental moment for me and my mum, whilst still being able others small aspects of our Tamil culture.
How have you evolved as a young creative while studying / working?
I used only be quite fine art based and creating more painting and structural pieces; something I’m definitely still interested in doing and try to incorporate elements of that in current project through jewellery making and creating my own sets. But in time I’ve creatively found more connections to working with photography, especially fashion photography - it’s like a comfort to me that I really enjoy doing in and outside of university. Which is something I didn't really feel when just studying art - at the time I could see myself continuing it as a hobby rather studying in it at a higher educational level. Despite this that experience did teach me so about fine art that my degree has touched and it has helped me a more versatile artist and creator.
What are the messages and themes behind your project that you want people to take away? Do explore any topics like diversity, sustainability or politics in your work?
I would definitely say that I explore politics through history and diversity through exploring Tamil culture as well generically south Asian culture. Yet the work I create is rather personal to me and mainly focuses on my artistic journey of exploring various aspects of my Tamil culture. It’s important for me, as it was something that I started to distance myself from, especially to fit within school norms. I remember there were times in my life where I felt judged and consider weird when talking about certain aspects of my culture; such as a puberty ceremony which celebrate a girl getting her period and growing up - it was celebrate the changes. Something that I am now proud of having experienced. For those who can relate and understand my work and have had similar experience culture, I would hope they start to embrace it rather be embarrassed by it, when viewing my work. Whilst for others, I hope they learn about Tamil culture as well learning about the Sri Lankan Civil War.
What’s an aspect of the fashion industry that you’re passionate about fixing or having a positive impact on?
The fashion industry has taught me so much so far and partly inspired my style of fashion photography, especially after having experience working in the fashion industry. It’s definitely helped also improve my fashion photography and technical skills; whilst also giving me the opportunities to network with so many creatives from various cultures and countries. It is something that I definitely privileged and honoured to have taken part and still have those chances. However, I couldn’t help but feel like I was the only brown person in the room and I started noticed slowly that I was. For me this was shocking, I know so many talent south Asian creatives with such a strong and keen interest in fashion, who worked hard to find experiences. I couldn’t help but think why are they not here with me too?
What is your plan for the future?
When I think of my plan for the future I feel slight unsure. I’ve been lucky to enough to have experience working in various sectors of the creative industry so far; but teaching is something I’ve also considered because of my projects. I have enjoyed teaching people about my culture amongst other things that I have learnt. As I’m still studying, I want to use this time to explore these different avenues further to help figure what’s best for me. However I do know that outside of university, I will continue to explore the many aspects of my Tamil culture and working more with various creatives; but especially those of south Asian backgrounds who I know would understand my work on more personal levels.