Despora: South Asian Stock Imagery Collection

Laiqa Miriam produces a collection of free-to-download images of Desi people during her time at The Unmistakables, which represents this community as it is: modern, diverse and breaking down barriers and boundaries.

A little while ago Dove launched a new stock photography collection that aimed to diversify the way women are represented in the media. Soon after, Adobe Stock followed up with a campaign to redress the balance of coverage of women in sport.

Both initiatives, while incredibly positive, made us realise the scale of underrepresentation of South Asians – affectionately known as Desi people – across stock photography sources online. What’s more, the Desi images that do exist are heavily stereotyped and tend to represent an entirely outdated view of this community.

Today, the Desi Diaspora – or, to coin a phrase, the ‘Despora’– represents five percent of the UK population (the largest percentage of the total BAME population in the UK). And, with over three million Desi people across the country, there is diversity within diversity. That's why we have lauched 'Despora.'

Collaborative Credits:

Photographer: Lou Jasmine

Photo Assistants: Toria and Francis Augusto