Photography graduate Shola Katija has been featured in Dazed Media’s year-end article, spotlighting outstanding visual work from members of the global creative community. The article highlights six photographers around the world and celebrates the moments, memories, and artistic journeys that defined 2025 for its contributors.

Shola shared in the article that “I’ve chosen to submit photographs from my final-year university project Mizu, exploring my Malawian heritage. This was my favourite series of images from 2025 because they capture the intimate moments associated with rediscovery, connecting with family, and searching through lost memories.”

“Mizu, brings together family photographs and documentation, from personal and family objects, to the food I grew up eating (such as Nsima and boiled cassava), to try to tell the story of my African heritage. The works I have selected, I feel, reflect my journey of reconnecting with my roots and uncovering family stories that I didn’t know when growing up. Together, they capture a personal moment of understanding, made possible by uncovering identity and belonging during 2025.”

Developed as part of her studies, Shola’s project shows how students are supported to turn personal ideas into meaningful photographic work that can reach audiences beyond the university and even gain international recognition.

If you’d like to explore your own ideas through photography, you can find out more about studying Photography at Brighton.