Joana Thangiah

Biography

Joana Thangiah @joanathangiah creates colorful feminist illustrations to her 82k followers on Instagram. Of Sri Lankan descent living in Sydney, Australia, Thangiah provides social media users a space to feel postive and empowered, exploring topics of feminism, LGBT rights, mental health, and more. She particularly wants to empower women in the South Asian community to speak up as they are a demographic that particularly experiences body shaming and have a culture that does not discuss issues surrounding body image. Having experienced bullying, sexism, racism, homophobia, fat shaming and skinny shaming, Joanna taps into her personal struggles to give us some pretty awesome reminders to “treat people and ourselves with kindness and respect.” In 2013, she was diagnosed with four mental health disorders and turned to drawing and doodles to cope and heal. 

Joanna’s Work

Artist Joanna Thangiah's colorful illustrations are feminist, body positive and full of unicorns. Her drawings, mostly depicting women of different body types include messages that remind the viewers to appreciate their body for what it is, be their authentic selves and take care of their mental health. Using inclusive imagery and character depictions, Thangiah aims to make her viewers feel more confident in themselves. Her sharp wit and no holds barred commentary offers a refreshing point of view on the typical and stereotypical messages women are often subjected to.