CRITICAL FRIEND / CONSULTANT

Meeting Mohini is new photographic display looks at Koovagam and spotlights Indian transgender culture through the lens of Zoya Thomas Lobo, India’s first transgender photojournalist.

I was approached by the Senior Curator at Horniman - Navjot Mangat - to help with an exhibition showcasing transgender identity in the South Asian community, after he had seen the exhibition my magazine Burnt Roti had curated at Gunnersbury Park Museum.

I came on as a critical friend/consultant to provide advice such as making sure the exhibition would solely platform transgender people and reduce harm in the process. In order to do this, I asked to bring on a trans critical friend - Mali Gupta-Archer, whose voice was vital in making sure the exhibition approached the topic with sensitivity.

Meeting Mohini shines a light on not only on the rich history and traditions of one of the oldest recognised transgender and LGBTQI+ communities in the world but also on the barriers and challenges that they face and overcome daily. It is Zoya Thomas Lobo’s first solo exhibition and first exhibition outside India.