Ramshah Kanwal: Turning the lens on heritage, sisterhood and self-discovery

Ramshah Kanwal speaks of photography as if it were a lifelong companion – a steadfast presence guiding her through moments of self-discovery and teaching her to see the world anew. “From the childhood headshots of me in my various Pakistani passport photos to the photos my mom would take of my brother and I on her film cameras, my early love for photos inspired me to make my own,” she tells Dazed MENA. Pakistani-born and New York City-raised, Ramshah’s images are steeped in familial love and cultural memory. “I was destined to find my way to my own camera because photography has led me to my own self-discovery.”

Now known for her vivid documentary-style photography, Ramshah’s work has been eagerly welcomed in the pages of Vogue India. Her pieces often hinge around themes of sisterhood and heritage.  “I have a very intentional approach to my work; each small detail in the frame is important to a larger story,” Ramshah tells Dazed MENA. “I use my medium to piece together my own universe, and my photos are a documentation of who I am. I see everything as a moment in time – after all, photography is truly about perfect time, about freezing that moment forever.”

Her self-published photobook Paper Planes – a documentation of her first trip back to Pakistan after 17 years – gleans insight into the quotidian poetry of her family life. Published in 2022, the book traces a childhood home brimming with warmth, the images captured on her Mamiya RZ-67. The cover itself tells a story: a scan of her US permanent resident card, her Pakistani national identity card and gold chains laid over a page from her passport. “This was a defining moment for me because it perfectly weaved together my past and present, reflecting my identity and roots,” Ramshah explains.

Often framed around the women in her family, her images celebrate the traditions passed down through their hands – hands that cook, sew, adorn themselves with henna and extend love. Ramshah’s signature documentary style often features women and girls with their heads turned away from the camera as they take in the world before them. Ramshah’s creative process is fueled by storytelling: “My work is a never-ending reflection of my upbringing, my family and exploring the connections between my two homes,” Ramshah says, referring to Punjab and New York. “I am fuelled by the idea that everything in my universe is connected and it’s up to me to connect the dots through my work.”

This intimacy is reflected even in her commercial work, where Ramshah suffuses every frame with ronak – a Punjabi term her family uses to describe her vibrant presence, embodying life, laughter and a joyful kind of loudness. In her campaign for Nike’s Air Jordan 1 ‘White & Gold,’ she artfully juxtaposes the sleek sneakers against the rich textures of South Asian tradition: starkly sported on women draped in traditional dress, or ensconced in nooks of Pakistan’s spry markets. Patterns peek from lined car interiors; each frame is a dreamlike celebration of her culture. “My work can bring a feeling of familiarity to the local culture,” Ramshah tells Dazed MENA. 

She has come to view photography as a sort of guardian, shaping her growth, deepening her understanding and allowing her to tell stories with clarity and care. “Recently I’ve learned that photography has been my biggest teacher,” she reflects. “As I grew as a photographer, I grew as a person; that growth happened simultaneously. I learned about myself through my reactive process and my family learned about the woman I’m becoming through my photos.”

Buoyed by her unwavering belief in photography as a transformative force, Ramshah feels compelled to extend its potential to others. “What photography has done for me, I want to provide the opportunity and space for the youth back in Pakistan,” she shares. “There is a cultural renaissance that is happening right now back home. There is so much new talent within art, fashion and music, where I envision that the contribution and visibility of my work is one of many that will empower and lead to Pakistan being a place that can nurture future artists.”

Yet, for Ramshah, representation is not about speaking for others. “It’s a special feeling to be able to resonate with work and see yourself within art created by others, but the real gift is what you then create with those feelings,” she says. “There’s room for all of us; I don’t want someone to see my work as ‘representation’ because I can’t speak for their unique experiences, nor am I meant to represent them… If we want to be seen and heard, it’s up to each of us to create work revolving around our moments and our experiences.”
Her next project, a zine focused on sisterhood, continues this exploration of shared experience and connection with photographs taken over the past three years. “This compilation of images is a deeper exploration of how women are united by our shared experiences,” the photographer illuminates. “It honours that intimacy and bond shared between the women in my family.” Above all, her upcoming work promises to be replete with her usual ronak – life, light and everything in between.