For any artist, creative blocks can be unnerving—you’ll often hear the advice to give oneself the space to sit with that unease, that absence of inspiration, which can, at times, unlock unexpected ideas or surprises. When Kerala-born and London-based fine art photographer Keerthana Kunnath found herself in a space where “she couldn’t really make any work,” she simply let her mind wander. Soon, she became interested in Kalari—an Indian martial art that originated in Kerala during the 11th century CE. As her research deepened, she stumbled upon a 30-year-old female bodybuilder, Arathy Krishna, and soon found a group of female bodybuilders dotted across the state. She set out to capture their powerful balance of femininity and strength, building her ongoing documentary series, “Not What You Saw.”
