ANEESA DAWOOJEE

Dawoojee’s strong belief in multiculturalism comes from her Trinidadian and Mauritian parentage. Places where African, Indian, Syrian, Chinese and European people could all be together in one place without judgement. Her home in South London is a similar meeting place of migrant communities who are creating their own fusion of British culture, where everyone has a place.

This project is in memory of all the elders whose ordinary lives were not reflected in textbooks. Inspired by her mother’s story, and extensive time spent in the Caribbean, Dawoojee has been moved to explore the deeper links between the West Indies and the UK, through themes of inter-race relations, indenture, gender, faith, love and feminism.

While she believes that there is no migrant story that comes without some painful recollections, Dawoojee’s photographs emphasises the importance in telling these histories by those who lived them. By sharing each story, she hopes to reduce racial tensions and divisions within modern Britain and to display the power in community.

The majority of works within March of the Hummingbirds were first exhibited at the Royal Photographic Society as part of Only Human: Aneesa Dawoojee and we thank the RPS for their partnership & support of this exhibition.

Aneesa Dawoojee is a multi-award winning portrait and social-documentary photographer from South London. Her images aim to break down stereotypes, and celebrate the ordinary people and communities surrounding her.

Dawoojee is an associate lecturer at Northampton University and is a fellow at the Royal Photographic Society. She is the recipient of the RPS Solo International Photography Exhibition 163 Award, (2022) and has been featured in Forbes Woman Africa, BBC and the British Journal of Photography’s Portrait of Humanity for three consecutive years since (2021). Her approach to visual communication has culminated in the touring exhibition Only Human, most recently displayed at the Royal Albert Hall, London (2024).

Dawoojee was most recently awarded the ‘Power of Photography Award’ in (2023) by AP magazine for “an outstanding body of work that shines a light on important issues, challenging perceptions and changing the way we see the world” – AP Magazine