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. From independence and in the years that followed, longstanding tensions in Sri Lanka escalated into a 26-year civil war (1983–2009), reshaping identity and triggering new waves of migration and asylum-seeking, 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.
Documentary and fine art photographer Abhi Chinniah presents Nirantharam (நிரந்தரம்) – permanence, a photo-essay that examines the lives of Sri Lankan Tamils, including the artists own lineage, across their different migration paths, exploring what they carry, what they preserve, and what endures.
Artist Talk:
Saturday 20th June, 2pm - 3pm in Room 10 at Studio One Toi Tu
