Keerthana Kunnath

London-based photographer Keerthana Kunnath, originally from Kerala, South India, explores same-sex relationships and gender-expansive people in the South Asian diaspora.

This image stems from the portrait series Not What You Saw, which celebrates Indian female bodybuilders in non-athletic garments demonstrating both inner and physical strength. The arresting series, shown in Arles at Les Rencontres de la Photographie in 2025, defies the country’s conventional standards of feminine beauty. Seeing these strong, confident women empowers, and instills hope well beyond India’s borders.

She has stated that she’s inspired by Sunil Gupta and Nan Goldin, and she feels indebted to her friend and mentor Kalpesh Lathigra (check out his spot on Focus here).

Kunnath splits her time between London and Mumbai. She shoots in medium format, both digitally and on film. Her work spans art documentary and fashion photography, and it has been published in Monocle, Atmos and Vogue.