For 35 years, photographer Hermann Rodrigues has captured the people, customs and narratives that shape Scotland’s South Asian populations. His show Broon Scots: Snapshots of Scotland’s South Asian Diaspora presents selected images from his large archive, giving a close view of Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani groups throughout the nation. After moving from India to Scotland in 1990, Rodrigues assembled over 40,000 photographs of family events, religious practices, daily life and historic ties between Scotland and South Asia. His images examine how migration, culture and identity have influenced contemporary Scottish society. By recording community stories, sites and shared pasts, the exhibition questions narrow views of South Asians in Scotland and underscores their role in the country’s cultural life. The display shows Rodrigues’ ongoing effort to preserve memories that might otherwise be lost, forming a key visual record for later generations. In a discussion with DESIblitz, Rodrigues explains the ideas behind the project, the need to earn community trust and the background to his long archive. When he reached Scotland in the 1990s, Rodrigues observed that many locals saw South Asians as a single group and missed the varied cultures, languages, faiths and customs inside these populations. He noted that average Scots viewed all as Asians without knowing they came from several countries, spoke multiple languages, followed different religions and held distinct traditions. He chose to photograph these variations and displayed the results in libraries and community centres. Over time he organised his archive around repeated themes that underpin the exhibition: portraits of personal stories, gatherings of shared events and monumental connections linking Scotland with South Asia. The show offers 24 selected images that present the colour and energy of South Asian life while addressing certain misconceptions. It portrays these communities as a settled element of Scotland’s cultural scene and illustrates ordinary moments that define group life. Rodrigues stresses that documenting communities requires more than taking pictures. Building trust and respectful ties has been essential to make the work reflect lives accurately. He worked hard to gain acceptance and avoided random shooting, especially early on when people questioned why another Asian would photograph them. At first, photography in these groups was mainly linked to weddings and family occasions. He spent time earning confidence and ensured his stories showed only positive aspects. The rise of selfies later simplified his task. This method helped him keep lasting connections with those he photographed. The project continues to develop as communities evolve and newer groups adapt differently to their adopted home. Rodrigues stays active across these populations to record their stories and events. His work also examines the historic links between Scotland and South Asia through buildings, monuments and places that reflect generations of migration, trade and cultural exchange. One notable find was the Scottish town of Patna in Ayrshire, named after the Indian city of Patna. Researching such connections involved detailed study before digital tools became common.
