Her Story

T8iana, spent her early childhood in a small town on the island of Mauritius and in India. Her father worked in the Government, and her mother was of part French descent. As a child growing up in a conservative middle-class environment, T8iana knew she was different from the other boys. She was happiest helping her mother select fabrics and stitch dresses for her sister and other friends, an activity that made her the butt of jokes by her peers.   

In a life changing incident that traumatized her for years, she was viciously attacked by a group of homophobic adolescent boy while walking alone back to her house from school. “That evening something died and something was reborn inside me”, she has quoted. Later she took to secretly exploring the gay world – experimenting with over-the-top make up and fashion looks, far ahead of the times. Unable to fit in anywhere, T8iana channeled her creative passions and anguish into art. Influenced by artists such as Andy Warhol and Jean Michel Basquiat, she received early acclaim and won awards at the national level. She was encouraged to continue her art further at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. However, the financial situation of the family meant that this was not possible. Instead, she faced pressure from her family to leave art and focus on studies and start earning as soon as possible. Undeterred by this setback, T8iana, turned her passion to music. Early influences came through her beloved mother who used to listen to George Michael, Pet-Shop Boys and Madonna around the house. The pop music of that time became her lifeline in those formative years, and is strongly reflected in her songs. As she says, “80s and 90s music has an effervescence and a happy quality to it that helps me soothe my inner demons.”

After college, the pressure from her father to conform to gender norms and start a career led T8iana to push these interests into the background. She earned a professional degree and took up a job with an advertising agency. The job allowed her to express her creative side, but more importantly, it also allowed her to leave India and enjoy a freedom she had never had till now, first in the Middle East and then Australia. It was in Australia that T8iana was finally able to express her identity as a trans. She transitioned in 2013. The first few years were tough as her family did not accept her new identity. As she sought to rebuild her life and relationships, T8iana suffered from severe anxiety attacks that led her to seek medical support. She was eventually able to overcome this with the support of her many friends and admirers, and return to her two passions, art and music.