MODEL, ACTIVIST

Sheerah calls herself a creative with a moral obligation. Aside from modelling she acts, presents and creative-directs shoots: using her voice to advocate for marginalised people and speak out about representation, body shaming and cultural erasure.

Much of Sheerah’s activism is very personal, and tied to her own identity and experiences. Her grandfather was a Tamil civil rights activist, and she intentionally describes herself as ‘a Tamil person originating from Sri Lanka with South Indian ancestry’ as a way to honour her heritage without overlooking its difficult history.

The discrimination Sheerah has faced because of her skin tone has also seen her frequently calling out colourism online. This notably led to her being cast in Beyonce’s Brown Skin Girl music video, alongside other prominent dark-skinned Black and South Asian women including Lupita Nyong’o, Kelly Rowland and Jasmin Sehra. 

Sheerah’s Instagram page meanwhile continues to be an unapologetic space of self-love, body positivity and intersectionality.