Zine Mela: South Asian journeys in DIY Cultures

Curated by Hamja Ahsan (founder of DIY Cultures festival)

Venue: WIP Space Studio, London - SW18 1EY

Follow: https://www.instagram.com/zine.mela

for latest updates, video interviews and details

Exhibition: Riso Mela & Zine Reading Room & Archives

24th July - 14th August 2025

Appointments available from 10am-10pm - email: hamjaahsan@gmail.com with “ZINETIME” in the subject header with an entry time and number of people and estimated time available.

Exhibition curator Hamja Ahsan: “I possess a vast archive of zines, comics, ephemera, and artists’ books that I

have collected for over 30 years - partly documented on DIY Zine bank

(https://www.instagram.com/diyzinebank ). I have previously exhibited parts of this archive at

London Design Week 2024, Rotterdam Zine Camp, Tate Modern and other leading

International institutions. I will exhibit zines from Adivasi first nations, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal,

Afghanistan, Kashmir, Sri Lankan, Bhutan, Maldives and the South Asian diaspora within this collection, as well as related

vinyl cover, risograph prints and posters. These will be exhibited around the gallery space, and

the downstairs meeting room will function as both a quiet room, zine library, reading room, and

zine archive.

During the course of the exhibition, the archive will be participatory and open, with audiences

contributing new zine creations. The exhibition will also feature posters and flyers from zine

fairs such as Bombay Zine Fair, Chobi Mela, Bradford Mela, Underground and Punk Festivals, as

well as analogue media vinyl, screen prints, and risography.

There will be showreel of video art, short film and animation from across South Asia. With interviews with leading South Asian zine makers in the archives room.

Zine fair: 26th July 2025, 12pm - 7pm, Saturday

#ZineMela2025

A day long creative fair of stalls of zines, comics, makers, social justice, solidarity, alternatives, contemporary craft, small press, underground books, punks, photography, illustration, prints, posters, graphics from all across South Asia and the diaspora. Free rooh azfa, chai, pakora & carrom if you come early.

Confimed stall holders: Confirmed tables: Jalebi Press (Roo Dhissou), Reya Ahmed, em-dash, Radical Chicken, Adda Zine,

Tables available. Email: hamjaahsan@gmail.com with #ZineTABLE in the subject header and your mobile contact, images, samples of your zines and work and social media handles.

Google form will be available soon

5 copies of a zine may be considered for a possible communal table.

Deadline: 1st July 2025

South Asia denotes Bangladesh, Kashmir, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Adivasi indigenous nations, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, Afghanistan and their diaspora across the world.

Volunteers for the festival and archives - welcome and appreciated. Email: hamjaahsan@gmail.com with #MelaVolunteer in the subject header if interested with mobile contact, location and your interest.

Curator Hamja Ahsan was the founder of the legendary DIY Cultures festival which ran from 2013-2017 at London's Rich Mix, which he co-curated with Sofia Niazi from Rabbits Road Press / OOMK and Helena Wee. This is his first zine fair since then. He is best known as author of the book Shy Radicals : Antisystemic Politics of the Militant Introvert. He has presented art projects at Documenta 15 to He is an artist, writer, curator, campaigner based in London, UK. He has been collecting and making zines for over 30 years since 1990s. IG: @shyradicals / X: @hamjaahsan

For media and interviews - contact him via his website: hamjaahsan.com

This project is funded by Wandsworth council South Asia Heritage Month

A day programme talks, animation, video art, workshop, Riso Mela exhibition, reading room & archives, zine open mic.

updated online timetable: hamjaahsan.com/mela