Born in Madras, India (1980), Malini Chandrasekar spent her formative years in Bombay, Hong Kong and England before attending Central St Martins, London, where she undertook a foundation in Art and Design, followed by a BA (Hons) in Graphic and Media Design at the London College of Communication, graduating in 2004. After completing her formal education and over the course of the following 20 years she forged an illustrious career in graphic design and advertising.
Having first picked up a camera at the age of 12, it was during Malini's first expedition to the Arctic during the Pandemic that her life-long love affair with photography had its watershed. There in the presence of polar bears, arctic foxes and walruses, while metres away in a Zodiac with camera in-hand, she photographed these remarkable animals. Crucially, by combining her innate creativity, a love of storytelling and a highly developed sense of composition, Malini captured not only their pure beauty but something more ephemeral. Over the course of the proceeding years her wildlife photography has taken root in an empathic awareness and a desire to foster a deeper understanding of the natural world. The outcome of her endeavours are award-winning images that focus solely on the animal itself, minimising the background to give a contemporary perspective that allows the viewer to focus on the animal alone - its grace, its magnificence, its gaze.
In a male-dominated industry, Malini Chandrasekar provides a fresh perspective to wildlife photography, with an approach that aligns with conservation and sustainability. She often works in extreme conditions, ranging from the freezing Arctic to scorching African heat. Inaccessible locations require careful planning, battling the elements and the unpredictability of wildlife. What lies behind each image is a journey marked by fortitude, patience, sensitivity and perseverance combined with an ethical understanding not to interfere but simply to share a moment in time - Therein lies the beauty of her work - capturing the true essence of her subjects.
Since Chandrasker began publishing her work in 2021, she has gone on to win a veritable constellation of awards:
2025:
Nikon Female Facets, Silver Award
Neutral Density Awards - six Honourable Mentions (Wildlife Category)
Exposure One, two Honourable Mentions (Wildlife Category)
2024:
Pangolin - Winner (Out of Africa Category)
ExposureOne - Discovery of the year (Wildlife Category)
ExposureOne - Silver & People’s Vote (Minimalism Category)
ExposureOne - two Honourable Mentions (Wildlife Category)
Monaco Prince Albert Foundation Environmental Awards - Honourable Mention (Polar Category), with a show in Monaco and touring until mid-2026
Natural Density Awards - Silver (Wildlife Category & People’s Vote - Minimalism Category)
Monochrome Awards - three Honourable Mentions (Wildlife Category)
Monochrome Awards - Honourable Mention (Nature Category)
Monochrome Awards - Honourable Mention (Landscape Category)
2023:
Monochrome Awards - two Honourable Mentions (Wildlife Category)
Fine Art Photography Awards - 4 Honourable Mentions (Wildlife Category)
FAPA - four Honourable Mentions (Wildlife Category)
NHM Wildlife Photographer of the Year (2021 & 2025 long list)
