Design Director at Thames & Hudson

Photographer based in London

Mathushaa Sagthidas is a London based freelance photographer, stylist, set designer and art director (studied at Camberwell College of Arts, UAL) with interest in fine art and contemporary fashion. Mathushaa’s work often examines her identity - Tamil Eelam ethnicity and British nationality, which is reflected through traditions, history and fashion photography.  ​ Identity, authenticity and representation are important to her because of her parents’ upbringing and experiences during the Sri Lankan civil war, which took place from 1983 until now. The history of the war, their own personal suffering and experience led Mathushaa to learn and embrace her ethnic culture, traditions and heritage more and more. ​   Her photography work spans a range of brands including Amazon, Wolf & Badger, Fashion United, Deezer and Bloomsbury; publications such as Creative Lives, Glass Magazine, The Photographer's Gallery, gal-dem, Hypebae​, Fashion Minority Report, THIIIRD Magazine, Campaign Live, Dishoom, It's Nice That, The British Library and Graduate Fashion Week and exhibitions such as Tate Britain, PhotoFusion, BBH London, Lake Gallery, Camberwell Space Gallery, Rankin x Maryland Studio, including billboards across the UK and a solo show with Bow Arts.

Photographer

Vanessa Pelz-Sharpe is a writer and broadcaster. Born and bred in London, she has written for a number of independent magazines and newspapers, including The Guardian, Illustrated Ape, and Pen Pusher, and was Contributing Editor for literary magazine Full Moon Empty Sports Bag. She co-hosts Letters You Never Sent, a monthly literary radio show on NTS. Pelz-Sharpe recently won a Cosmopolitan Magazine Blog Award for her blog Nightmares and Boners and is currently working on her first novel.