Srija Shrestha
Srija Shrestha
Age: 26
Location: Inverness
Pronouns: she/her
![Srija Shrestha, 30 under 30 nominee in 2023 smiling at the camera.](http://youngwomenscot.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Srija-Shrestha-30-under-30.jpg)
I am a Nepali artist and illustrator based in Scotland. I came to the UK in 2021 to pursue MA Illustration and graduated from Teesside University in 2022. Leaving home for the very first time and navigating life in an entirely different culture and environment has been a major experience in shaping my creative practice.
The themes that I engage with in my artwork are mental health, and emotional well-being combined with personal and community experiences of home, belonging and identity. I also explore these themes through the fusion of Nepali and English language and culture, and connecting them with the stories of finding a home away from home. I enjoy presenting my work through the medium of illustrations, zines, photography, comics, Riso prints, cyanotype prints and sometimes illustrated short videos.
I have collaborated on projects with organisations both in Nepal and the UK, such as British Council, YUWA Nepal, UNICEF South Asia and Student Minds UK to highlight issues of mental health. I was also recognized as the Artist in Residence programme organized by People of Colour Creative, Shutterstock and Clear Channel for my illustration on mental health in South Asian communities.