Poetry has been a quiet but constant companion for Naya since grade 8, when a school assignment led to her winning a district-wide contest for a piece that poured straight from her heart. Growing up, Naya rarely saw Tamil artists represented in either the beauty industry or the poetry world, and this lack of visibility, combined with financial and community-based barriers, initially made her question her place in the arts. She now uses her work to challenge beauty standards, create representation, and inspire others—especially women and girls from underrepresented communities to embrace who they are unapologetically.

Naya’s work is centred on themes of cultural expression, self-acceptance, and the beauty of change. She strives to show that being yourself, fully and unapologetically, is powerful and that differences are something to be celebrated.

"4 Your Eyez Only"

Makeup and Poem by Naya — Artist Statement [EXCERPT]

Changing who you are doesn’t mean losing yourself; it means finally becoming the real you. My work goes beyond colours and brushes; it’s a space where I find peace, power, and cultural connection, using both makeup and words to tell stories that celebrate identity, growth, and representation. My piece, “4 Your Eyez Only,” explores the beauty of pivoting passions, tracing my evolution from an unconfident baking entrepreneur to a culturally empowered makeup artist. The title reflects that change is personal, for your eyes only, and defined by how you choose to see yourself. “4 Your Eyez Only” was inspired by my ongoing journey of self-exploration and reconnection with my Tamil culture. I wanted to create a piece involving culturally expressive makeup that captures the raw and honest process of pivoting passions, from my past in baking to my present in makeup artistry.

The purpose of this piece is to show that it’s okay to evolve into new chapters in life. It is especially meant for the little girls who never saw themselves represented in beauty spaces, encouraging them to embrace their identity and be the representation they don’t see. The central themes are embracing change, self-acceptance, women’s empowerment, cultural pride, and rejecting rigid beauty standards. My commentary challenges the way mainstream beauty standards exclude and undervalue cultural diversity, promoting the idea that beauty is fluid, personal, and deeply tied to identity. I hope this work inspires growth, empowers women and girls, and supports the reclamation of cultural representation while dismantling limiting ideals of beauty.