TSUNAINA

Otherworldly and bewitching are two words associated with the multi-hyphenate model. But who is the person behind the sculptured mask?

- SHRIYA ZAMINDAR

Tsunaina is done with making 'beautiful images'. Although it's what the Nepali model turned musician is best known for, she wants to take back agency, to reveal her authentic persona, instead of surrendering to what other people project on her. “I want my images to feel emotional and sincere," she says, referring to narratives that fashion her into a mythical being, rarely opening the channel to show her vulnerable nature. "I intend for the image to feel like a story, as opposed to something that just looks nice," she confesses.

You may recognise her unmistakable features as the canvas for Pat McGrath's Mothership campaign in 2018. To hear Tsunaina tell it, the musician in her was crafted by choice, but the model was discovered by chance. After McGrath's team found her selfies on Instagram, her calendar filled up, despite being all of 5ft 5in, noticeably shorter than the leggy women who dominate the modelling business. She was quickly granted prized real estate in the portfolios of photographers Tim Walker and Paolo Roversi, not to mention about a dozen fashion titles across the globe.