Exclusive story by WeirdKaya – Reproduction requires proper crediting and backlinking to us. Kindly acknowledge the efforts of our editors in sourcing and conducting interviews.
In Tamil culture, there’s a proverb that goes: “A lotus that blooms in a bed of mud.”
This simple yet profound saying encapsulates the idea that one can bloom and flourish despite harsh circumstances.
Meet Vaneesha Krish, one who has risen from the harsh realities and struggles that comes with being a minority, and has now bloomed into a creative director cum producer of 22 Hub, who is actively challenging an industry that often fails to create truly inclusive and sustainable creative spaces and ventures for marginalised individuals like herself.
Aside from that, she is also an activist, whose creative work focuses on social justice and people-centred issues.
Seed planted by her Amma
For Vaneesha, she largely attributes her strong sense of justice to her Amma’s (mother) whose values shaped her into the person she is today and the way she tells stories through her creative lenses.
Despite their modest means during her upbringing, Vaneesha highlighted that her mother consistently prioritised community-centred endeavours.
“Her focus mostly leaned towards education for at-risk students,volunteering at dog shelters and old folks’ homes, which reflected a commitment to serving others despite her own limitations.”
She aspired to be a social justice lawyer but tertiary education was a privilege many Malaysian Indians can’t afford, so she became a teacher instead, determined to still give back however she could.
“She was so passionate about society and that continued to permeate everything she touches, that’s how Amma is.”
Vaneesha added her mother encouraged her and her siblings to have their own voice and to always stand up for what was right.
“From a young age, Amma was raising us to be activists before we even had a name for it because she was an activist on her own right”
Project Reverie
Speaking to WeirdKaya in an exclusive interview, Vaneesha reminisced over her first project, where a team of volunteers from various backgrounds were involved.
The project was named “Project Reverie” as it encapsulated both Vaneesha’s and her creative partner’s aspiration to establish a safe and inclusive creative space for the community to learn about the fundamentals of video production.
“What made it remarkable was that it was crafted by individuals who had never ventured into commercial production before.
“It started out as a small call for participants on Instagram, but later turned into a full fledged production with nearly 60 volunteers who were interested in being involved and experiencing what it’s like being in a production set
The whole experience was so wholesome and it made me realise that there is a huge gap in the creative industry. We’re telling people-centred stories without enough representation of the people in our society. There’s so much more art and creation waiting to come to life, and stories that can be told when we make space for it.
“This realisation further fueled my determination to create and share stories about those of us who are often overlooked in the mainstream narrative, those of us who are systemically and societally oppressed,” she added.
‘We will set the tone’
Throughout her life and career, the myriad experiences and projects Vaneesha has undertaken have also shown her a bitter truth – the creative industry remains unchanged from the time she first entered it.
We have been mistreated (by the industry) and our community of creatives have all experienced something similar one way or another. It’s been 5 to 10 years but yet nothing has changed!
“On top of that, I do feel that I was given access to certain spaces in the industry because of the fact that I speak both English and Bahasa Malaysia and exist in what society deems as a more palatable body – because I’m light-skinned. The sobering reality of my privilege drives me to challenge the status quo. So many more of us deserve to be here.
“The art scene shouldn’t be elitist and more of us should feel welcome. After all, art is what heals, connects and revolutionises worlds.”
From Vaneesha’s perspective, those from her community and background frequently face the pressure to act, speak, and even look a certain way in order to fit into the accepted image of being an Indian.
I have come to realise that most of the time, I’m also tokenised which is very unfortunate.
“Merely having one or two creatives from specific backgrounds within creative spaces doesn’t constitute a diverse representation. Rather, it’s just another form of tokenism.”
This sad reality has frustrated Vaneesha so much to the point where she’s determined to combat the norms of the creative industry and to set the right tone by producing content that represents the marginalised community such as I’m Every Women, Aikkiyam, Nenjukkule and Soft On Psoriasis, among others.
As a Canva Represents Artist – the only Malaysian and few South Indians in the list of global artists for inclusivity, Vaneesha also continues to populate the internet with stock images that rightfully represent oppressed communities, prioritising those who are trans, dark-skinned, plus size, disabled and chronically ill in the imagery and also the team that she works with, with intersectionality at the core of all she does.
“We can make equitable space and tell compelling, entertaining, and inspiring stories without coming at the expense of the community and that’s where the future is heading for me and for my team at 22 Hub.“
“Still, I recognise that we cannot do it without all of you. I hope that this sharing of mine will invite you to introspect over the ways you exist in this society, the privileges you have, the communities that don’t have what you do, and how you can actively make space for us. Hire us, work with us, collaborate with us, this fight belongs to all of us, we will always be responsible for one another.”
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