About Suad
Immigrant
When people look at me, they see an immigrant. A woman with an Eastern European accent who doesn’t really look Eastern European. A mother of a sweet little Londoner. A daughter that wasn’t interested in taking over the family business. I am all of this and so much more
Beyond the portrait
I was born and raised in Bulgaria by a Turkish mother and a Syrian father. Growing up in a small Balkan country in the 90s wasn’t exactly easy when you looked different. My olive skin and curly hair made it impossible to fit in. Being the only child in class with mixed origin, I was often asked about my background. It made me feel as if I didn’t belong there. Back then the society was more conservative, being different wasn’t celebrated. Quite the opposite; different was labelled as no good.
I remember asking my mom if I’m Turkish or Syrian or Bulgarian, and saying that I wish I could pick just one. She told me that I’m all that and I don’t need to choose only one country or ethnicity, because I am a world citizen. These words have shaped my personality more than anything else.
Fighting for human rights is part of who I am. I’ve always related to the minorities, and I’ve always stood with the oppressed. I used to read about different countries and dream of travelling to all these beautiful places, meeting people of all races, religions and ethnicities, learning about their cultures, eating their foods. I knew that one day I’d leave Bulgaria and find the true essence of myself somewhere else, where I could feel free to simply be.
When I graduated from university in Sofia, I was accepted to do my Master’s in the UK. My mom was very supportive but she expected me to return to Bulgaria and take over the family business. She invested all her time and energy in building a successful business while being an active member of a political party and the local Rotary club. She hoped that I would follow in her footsteps, but that was not my path to walk.