Part 10

Meet Sundari

"I find it empowering to take up space, claim my beauty and own my body." 

My first meeting with Sundari Zuleta was your classic uni-project chance meeting. If it hadn't been for our shared interest in Anthropological studies, perhaps we would have never got to chatting about meeting up and taking photographs together. That's the thing about creative energy, it has a funny way of bringing people together in the most unexpected of circumstances. Sunnie, like her namesake is a big ball of radiant positivity who has such brilliant views about life, art, and the human body. Here is everything she has to say about both her creative practice as a photographer, and her relationship to her body. Enjoy the vox-pop below and don't forget to check her out on Instagram. 

What are you trying to explore through your photography/art?

The short answer is that I don’t particularly know and in many ways what I create, and capture is just a natural expression that I try not to intellectualize too often. But it’s inevitable that certain themes arise in my work. I think it is very common for your ethos to come out in your creative projects. When I look at all of my creative practices (art, collage, poetry/writing, photography) I can definitely see different things come up again and again. Things like women, nature, people interacting, landscapes and sensory experiences. Authentic expression, sustainability and natural environments are all important to me and I think that they reveal themselves in what I do.

How has your photography/art helped further your understanding of women and their connection to nature? 

I think it has enhanced the correlations that I see between women and nature. I see nature as something rich in creative energy, full of interesting shapes and abundant with different cycles and rhythms. It’s interesting to see how these things manifest in humans. 

Why do you take photographs; what emotions does it make arise within you that makes you an unstoppable creative force? 

I like to capture moments. I like to capture things and people that are beautiful and intriguing to me. Every person has a unique way of seeing the world. And for me a medium like photography helps to express that. Also, drawing from my own experiences of modelling I have found that being in front of a camera can be very empowering. I find it empowering to take up space, claim my beauty and own my body. So, when I photograph people I try to facilitate an experience like that. It brings me a lot of joy to capture people claiming who they are.

What’s next for you? 

One of my main goals is to start organizing my work and putting it out there more, so I’m intending to create a website and blog. I’m going to be working on more zines, photoshoots, short films, poetry, collage series and hopefully collaborating with other creatives.

Women as People (Not Objects) 

1. What do you think is the answer to all girls being able to accept their bodies for what they are (an ever-changing organism capable of anything) at a young age?

I think the answer lies in having more open, realistic and diverse conversations about sexuality, gender identity and self-love. Education is key; not just in a formal sense but also in a social sense. We need to learn from one another and keep talking about these things. I think it is also important to portray more realistic and diverse body representations in both mainstream media and social media. We need role models out there who love themselves and understand their bodies. Knowing how to take care of your body and being aware of the processes and cycles that occur within can make your relationship to your body a creative practice.

2. Do you like your body? Would you say your relationship with your body is considered “healthy”?
Do I love myself? Yes. Is my relationship to my body healthy? I think it is. Do I always like my body? No. My relationship to my body changes depending on how I feel internally. What I put into it, what I do with it and where I’m at in my cycle are all things that impact how I perceive my body. I don’t think it’s about feeling amazing towards your body all the time. I think the body is always transforming and shifting through different seasons and landscapes. Self-love is something that is always deepening within me. And the way I learn to love myself is through understanding what is happening on a deeper level. Spending time with myself, feeling grateful for what my body is capable of and treating it with respect and care help me to have a good relationship with my body.

3. What has brought you to the conclusion that you like/dislike your body?
Continuing on from what I said earlier liking my body is something that is fluid and therefore has no fixed conclusions. There have been many things however that have helped me arrive to a space of self-love. Whether it has been inspiration through other people, something I’ve read or seen or just getting real with myself and putting energy into things I like to do.

4. What do you do to make yourself feel good?

I create, I make art, I read, I listen to music, I dance, I write, I spend time with people I love, I feed myself beautiful nourishing meals, I take time to myself, I move my body, I set intentions, I meditate, I learn new things, I practice honesty and communication, I spend time in nature, I travel. The list goes on. Essentially, I surround myself with people, places, things and materials that inspire and enrich me.

5. Do you like to define yourself by anything in particular? Like being a good dancer, artist, writer etc.

I think we live in a world where we are so often asked to define ourselves. I like to think that I am many things and fluid in those things. I’m evolving, discovering who I am. I respond to the things I see around me which manifest themselves in different forms of creativity. So, I guess in some sense I define myself through my creativity.

6. What’s the “big thing” you want the world to know about you, if anything?
I hate olives. 

7. What would you deem to be your biggest challenge in life so far?

Learning to let go of my anxieties and live fully in the present.

8. Where do you feel most at home, outside of the place that you are currently living?

In natural surroundings. By the ocean, next to trees, under the sun, in the desert. And anywhere where there are people that I love.

9. Do you think women have a particularly special bond with nature? If so, how would you describe this bond, and what relationship do you personally have with nature?

I think anyone can have a special bond with nature. Processes like menstruation, birth and even specific anatomy can correlate quite directly with nature but I don’t think this bond is confined to womanhood. I also think people who live in harmony with nature or share history with nature have a particularly special bond to it. This could be anywhere from people who carry indigenous traditions, people who work in conservation or organic farming, people who surf or hike frequently or people who simply cultivate a garden in their backyards. The amazing thing about nature is that it is unique to everyone.

My relationship with nature has always been magical. The place I grew up bordered a beautiful national park. So, from a very early age I had a special connection to the native forest. Moving to Australia helped me to form a really lovely relationship to the ocean. And through all of my travels I have always had an intense attraction to natural places. My relationship to nature goes deep. It is where I feel safe, peaceful and completely myself. I learn so much from nature and discover much about myself when I spend time in it.

10. What song or album can you always put on to bring you back to yourself?

Depends which self. I’m bad at picking favourites, but if music can be a pathway home, then these are some artists that take me there:

Devendra Banhart

Erykah Badu

A Tribe Called Quest

Francoise Hardy

Tuxedo

The Doors

Khruangbin

Princess Nokia

The Velvet Underground

Ali Farka Toure

Bob Dylan

Part 9

1. What do you think is the answer to all girls being able to accept their bodies for what they are (an ever changing organism capable of anything) at a young age?

Oooh this is quite a doozy. It’s tricky, because I feel most girls don’t know what their bodies are doing yet. As they mature and change it’s quite a daunting experience. And each experience is as unique and different as the next. We’re all so heavily influenced by those around us. So I think the answer is in strong female role models. Women that stride with confidence through their lives with an unbreakable self love. When we surround ourselves with women that love their bodies it gives us permission to love ourselves. With that strong foundation, we can support each other to grow and evolve into the women we are meant to be. It will be a slow ripple, but a powerful one.

2. Do you like your body? Would you say your relationship with your body is considered “healthy”?

I LOVE my body, I think I’ve got a great relationship with my bod. If you had of asked me that 5-10 years ago, it would have been a different answer. I’ve taken the time to fall in love with it. And I know that how I talk to myself, feed myself, rest and honour myself all work to enhance this relationship.

3. What has brought you to the conclusion that you like/dislike your body?

Ahh well it’s been quite an adventure. Honestly I’ve had to work really hard to focus on how incredibly unique and magical my body is rather then comparing it to those around me. I grew up with thick thighs and a big booty. My mum had skinnier legs then me. Along with the media that I focused on i wanted that thin beachy babe look. My body was never going to look like those models or the girls I went to school with, or at this stage even my Mum’s. Then I took a step back and watched the media change it’s mind from one thing to the next. Now big booties are in (yeww!). But i know that soon it’ll change again. I figured that if you tried to keep up with what society deemed as the norm then you would never be happy. What the people around us call beautiful is constantly changing. I feel it’s best to empower ourselves in the knowledge that we are perfect in our own skin. We can then aim for the highest level of health and functionality within our own bodies, without comparison. I keep stepping back in awe, every aspect of my body works to it’s highest function to support me in doing what I love. I get to dance every day with this body.

4. What do you do to make yourself feel good?

Dance, everywhere. Actually though. Singing along too. Plus swimming. I sprint from the sand and plunge head first into the waves at the beach. It’s the most invigorating reconnection with soul and spirit that you could ever hope for. The ultimate is mermaid swimming, and feeling the current going through your hair. My friends know that if I’m not dancing somewhere and have a spare couple of minutes, I’m usually in the water.

5. Do you like to define yourself by anything in particular? Like being a good dancer, artist, writer etc.

I do define myself with dancing and performing. I want to tour the world doing this. But I think I’d like to just also be defined as a powerful force of positive energy.

Find Rachell on Instagram here

Part 8

1. What do you think is the answer to all girls being able to accept their bodies for what they are (an ever changing organism capable of anything) at a young age?

I think there is a noticeable movement in society and particularly social media at the moment to accept yourself for who you are that perhaps wasn’t as present when I was younger which is really encouraging to see. There is probably not one answer but a combination of communication, education and having positive role models around seems like a good place to start.

2. Do you like your body? Would you say your relationship with your body is considered “healthy”?

I’ve had (and admittedly still have) a complicated relationship with my body. When I was younger I was always super active and never really thought about it, but as a teen I definitely had body image issues and went through that eating disorder stage that I think a lot of teenage girls battle with, without even realising or acknowledging it. Now, there are still things I don’t really love about my body but I have definitely learnt that when I stay active and look after myself then I generally feel pretty good.

3. What has brought you to the conclusion that you like/dislike your body?

I actually think going to Sky-lab and also becoming a teacher there has had a major impact on how I feel about my body. There is such a vast mix of shapes and sizes coming into the studio, but the focus is not about dropping a dress size – it’s about feeling stronger, both physically and mentally, and to become more aware of how your body can move and what it is capable of.

4. What do you do to make yourself feel good?

Take a trip to the flowers markets and play florist in my kitchen. Hang upside down. Go for a dip in the ocean. Drink good wine with people I love.

5. Do you like to define yourself by anything in particular? Like being a good dancer, artist, writer etc.

I think I am quite good at reading/empathising with people. It’s a Pisces thing. I’m not sure I define myself by it, but that particular quality transcends both my personal and professional life in a really prominent way.

6. What would you deem to be your biggest challenge in life so far?

Answering some of these questions honestly…

I have a complex about keeping other people happy, never saying no and loving unconditionally, often at the expense of myself and my feelings. The challenge for me has been to learn to find balance and make sure that I’m OK as well sometimes.

7. What’s the “big thing” you want the world to know about you, if anything?

I’m not a pushover just because I can’t say no –I just care more about others than myself.

8. Where do you feel most at home, outside of the place that you are currently living?

In Sydney, Sky-lab is like a second home for me. It’s a really incredible community of people from all different walks of life who unite to fly together. I can walk into the studio after the worst day and everything is ok again. Outside of that it would be Jindabyne, where I grew up. There’s something about the mountains that will always be home to me.  

9. Do you think women have a particularly special bond with nature? If so, how would you describe this bond, and what relationship do you personally have with nature?

I think people in general have an intrinsic relationship with nature. Most people would not be able to tell you they feel worse after some fresh air. For me, it has always been a happy place; being in nature grounds me, allows me to disconnect and take some time to breathe and recharge.

10. What song or album can you always put on to bring you back to yourself?

It depends what I need to be brought back from, but ‘Gimme Shelter’ by The Rolling Stones or literally anything by ODESZA will generally lift me out of a mood – if one doesn’t work, the other probably will.

"...the focus is not about dropping a dress size – it’s about feeling stronger, both physically and mentally, and to become more aware of how your body can move and what it is capable of"