A London-based non-binary Punjabi model, producer and photographer, Zorawar Singh Waraich’s creative career kick-started when they began sharing their personal journey of decolonisation and self-love on social media at the age of 16. Through the years, their work has attracted a community of queer POCs and allies, who have supported and appreciated the many creative endeavours that the 25-year-old has embarked on. Waraich Singh’s art is underpinned by an agenda to challenge societal constructs of what is valuable, beautiful and worthy of love; as an artist with many outlets, they aim to channel not just their rage and trauma, but also their healing and joy into something beautiful. They hope to move others, both like and unlike them, and offer them an escape from the cis-heteronormative patriarchy they live in.
Singh Waraich is constantly looking for new outlets, and music has always been an obsession for them, making its way into their work in one way or another. As someone who grew up on a healthy diet of Punjabi music, Britney Spears and hardcore techno, they are looking forward to commencing their DJing career this year and imbuing London’s underground scene with their own tunes.
How does your South Asian identity intersect with your work?
My South Asian identity intersects with my work in the same way that it intersects with my identity, my queerness, my everyday. Naturally and seamlessly, yet inexplicably. I don’t often intentionally make work about my cultural background, rather I share stories through my work that feel important and authentic to my experience. My identity is an inherent part of that authenticity.
What do you think is the role of the youth in affecting systemic change when it comes to representation in creative industries?
The youth have always been the future of systemic change—many young people from the South Asian community all over the world are changing the narratives that keep marginalised identities oppressed. South Asian queer youth, activists who fight caste violence, misogyny, colorism, Islamophobia, transphobia and anti-blackness through their work are our future.
What has been your most fulfilling work experience as a South Asian?
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