Towards the end of Vivek Vadoliya’s film Kala Kala: The Guru of Soho, the short’s colourful protagonist proclaims “life is very simple and gets complicated when you’re not looking within yourself”. These words linger, not for their obvious mindful meme-ability, but for the ways in which they describe the root of Vadoliya’s aesthetic force.

In just a few years, the photographer and director has conjured a portfolio that is deeply personal, technically tight and wrapped in a visual language that is distinctively his own. The work is an invitation into his world, a constellation of fashion, documentary and portraiture that seeks to celebrate the nuances of the Indian diaspora, carefully imagined through his tender and loving gaze.

The construct of masculinity and its relation to Vadoliya’s south Asian identity, historically, culturally, and within the contemporary moment, is a central theme in the work. In Brotherhood, he explores notions of British Asian masculinity through a series of quiet and eclectic portraits that speak to style, body language and cultural codes and symbols.

The film Kasaragod Boys, shown at the Barbican in 2019, examines a group of young Muslim boys from a small Keralan town and the emergence of their identity on social media. The subculture, known as ‘Freakers’, cultivate exuberant online personas informed by a stream of global influences in stark contrast to the traditional environment they grew up in.

“I relate to that sentiment because I think when you are part of a diaspora from anywhere, you have this separate culture at home to the identity you have in a public space,” says Vadoliya. “Image-making has always been a way for me to interrogate these ideas and be in conversation with people and communities.”

Vadoliya found a kindred spirit in art director Neesha Champaneri. Their recent collaborations have brought them to Bradford, Champaneri’s hometown and a place Vadoliya sees as a “microcosm of segregated Britain”. Sisterhood is a dream-like series capturing the political collective Speakers Corner, who aim to create a safe space for young teenagers to discuss mental health, body image, and activism.

Sisterhood grew from a previous fashion story made by the duo called Bradford in Bloom, which was shot for King Kong magazine. The series captures everyday people adorned in looks by the Indian designer Ashish. The photographs exude joy, capturing Vadoliya’s contagious energy while distilling his ethos around notions of beauty, self-expression and collaboration.

“Historically, what’s interesting for me about Bradford is that it was once one of the richest cities because it’s sat at the heart of the world’s textile industry. Since then, it’s been forgotten or left aside,” Vadoliya continues. “There is a really interesting characteristic that a Bradfordian has, a sense of resilience and grit. We met some incredible people on this project, like AI, a community youth worker; Ramesh, a 75-year-old classical dancer; and Aunt Polly [Champaneri’s next-door neighbour], who has these two big dogs because she was robbed a couple of years ago. Everyone has their own story. My goal is to create environments where people can feel comfortable to be themselves.”

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