A Photography Project Documenting Sri Lankan Tamil Identities

Kia ora,

My name is Abhi Chinniah, and I’m a self‑taught documentary and fine art photographer based in Auckland, New Zealand. I’m nearing the completion of a two‑year photographic project, where I've documented the lives and stories of the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora in New Zealand and I’m now raising funds to exhibit this work at Studio One Toi Tū in June 2026. Your support will help cover essential exhibition costs, including:

- Venue hire $1834 for two weeks
- Fine‑art printing $1400 (these fine art prints will be gifted to the portrait-sitters)
- Art installation $380
- Catering for the opening event $550
- Panelist fees for a community talk during the run of the exhibition
- Auckland Festival of Photography $134 registration fee

CROWDFUNDING GOAL: $4500

I’ve self‑funded this project from the beginning, as I have done with all of my creative work, supported by the income from my day job. As I move toward sharing this project publicly, the costs of exhibiting go beyond what I can carry alone. I’m now inviting support to help make the exhibition possible. Any amount helps! And you can contribute from anywhere in the world. All contributors will be acknowledged across all exhibition collateral. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you’re welcome to contribute as a guest.

The duration of the exhibition will be two weeks, at Studio One Toi Tū that sits in the heart of Ponsonby, Auckland City. This accessible location, makes the collection of work open and available to all communities. The exhibition will be free to attend with no barriers to entry.

What is the project?

Sri Lankan Tamil diasporic communities are shaped by journeys of resilience. Stretching back over a century to the island then known as Ceylon, colonial labour movements established permanent Tamil populations across parts of Southeast Asia. In the years that followed, Sri Lanka’s 26‑year civil war (1983–2009) reshaped identity, triggering new waves of migration and asylum seeking through the 1980s and 90s, including to countries like New Zealand.

Today, Sri Lankan Tamils make up less than 1% of their adopted populations, and their stories are often framed through crisis, overlooking individual experiences and lived histories.

This project examines the lives of Sri Lankan Tamils across different migration paths, exploring what they carry, what they have preserved, and what endures.

Where will your donations go?

Your donations will help cover the core costs of bringing this exhibition to life: venue hire, fine‑art printing of the photographs, and the work of a professional art installer to ensure the prints are safely and accurately presented. These prints will be gifted to the portrait sitters, so their care and integrity are essential. I am also seeking support for catering at the opening event in June, creating a welcoming space for the community to gather and celebrate the project.

About me

Born in Ōtautahi Christchurch to Sri Lankan Tamil Malaysian parents, I grew up on Malaysia’s East Coast before settling in Auckland, New Zealand. 

My internationally recognised, ongoing photo essays Light Skin Dark Skin and Melanin Rising examine colourism and the portrayal of dark‑skinned identities in mainstream media. My subsequent series, A Migrant’s Path, documented the generational impact of migration on minority communities within the multicultural diasporas of Aotearoa. 

My wider archive has been presented in a solo exhibition at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery, and my collections are held in the permanent archives of the National Library of New Zealand and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. 

I prioritise long‑term projects, where relationship‑building and intentional creative practice form the core of my art‑making process.

View published coverage of my projects by following this link.

Thank you for supporting my work, and for contributing to bringing this exhibition to life.