Aishath Naajila

Specialized in Movie Design.

Aishath Naajila

About Aishath Naajila

Naj is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist, cinematographer, and director from the Maldives, working across photography, videography, and visual storytelling. Since beginning her practice at the age of 16, she has developed her approach through independent study and experimentation. Her work focuses on narrative, culture, and lived experience, combining visual and auditory elements in multidisciplinary projects, including *Two Thousand Isles*, which explores local island life and culture, history and hidden stories, and environmental and social change across the atolls. She has worked on commercial projects with international clients, brands, camera and production equipment partners, and high-end resorts in the Maldives, as well as advertising and editorial work. Alongside her creative practice, she is increasingly focused on teaching and developing skill-based education in photography and videography, with an emphasis on storytelling. Aishath Naj’s work is recognized for its clarity, consistency, and balance between visual appeal and authentic representation. Her visual style is defined by controlled colour grading with a cinematic, filmic quality, maintaining natural tones while adding depth and cohesion. She has produced work across aerial, architectural, portrait, and landscape photography, and has built a strong local and international reputation over the past decade.

  • Winner of the A' Design Award.
  • Specialized in Movie Design.
  • Original Design.
  • Creative, Diligent and Innovative.
  • All Designs
  • Movie
Tide and Tradition Video

Tide and Tradition Video

Movie Design


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Extended Interview with Aishath Naajila

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I am a self-taught artist where I began my journey at the age of 16. Through experimentation and continuous learning, I developed my skills independently and shaped my own creative approach.
How did you become a designer?
I became a photographer/videographer out of curiosity and a desire to understand the world around me. Growing up on an island, I was deeply influenced by the stories, people, and everyday moments I witnessed. What motivates me is capturing those stories and exploring the beauty and meaning in the places I come from.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
My journey as an artist began with curiosity at a young age and gradually became a natural path for me. It was a way to express, explore, and make sense of the world around me.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
I love creative narrative-driven work and projects that go deeper into storytelling and explore people, culture, and place in a more cinematic and meaningful way. And I am interested in documenting my own journey as well.
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
Be curious. Love what you do. Stay open to change and be willing to see things differently. Seek out the stories that move you and spark your sense of wonder.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
I think a good designer can create technically strong work, but a great designer goes beyond that. A great designer understands how to make people feel something and guides the audience into a deeper story or experience.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
A good design becomes great when it has impact. when it makes people feel something, wonder, and start conversations. It’s not just about aesthetics, but about how it inspires and connects with people.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
The value of good design is in how it shapes the way we experience the world. It influences how we feel, think, and connect with what’s around us. Everyone should invest in good design because it has the power to inspire, create meaning, and improve how people engage with everyday life.
What is your day to day look like?
If I had the time, I would focus on creating feature-length films that explore people, culture, and place in a cinematic and deeply human way.
How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
My dream project is to create a full feature film, working alongside incredible directors and collaborators.
How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?
My secret recipe for success in design is curiosity and a strong hunger for learning new things.
How do you decide if your design is ready?
Roger Deakins, Leonardo Dalessandri, Joey L, Erik Almas, Annie Leibovitz, Emmanuel "Chivo" Lubezki
What is your biggest design work?
I really loved Leonardo Dalessandri’s Watchtower of Turkey because it felt like I was there, going through a journey. It moves through culture, people, and places in such a natural flow that it becomes more than just a film.It feels like an experience, like a feeling. The curiosity in how he observes the world really connects with how I approach my own work.
Who is your favourite designer?
Facetime Film is part of a series I created during the COVID-19 lockdown, where I connected with people from all around the world, different nationalities and individuals I had never met in person. It was filmed while I was in the Maldives and the model was in France. Despite the language barrier and the limitations of working through a video call, I directed and captured images remotely, which were later turned into video clips. I compiled everything into an 8mm film–inspired story with narrated poetry. Technically, it was very challenging, as I had no control over exposure, aperture, or shutter speed during the shoot. But those limitations became part of the process, and I was able to bring the idea to life.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
Experimenting, Making mistakes, adapting, and refining my eye over time.
Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?
If I hadn’t become a designer, I would be a musician. I’ve always been drawn to music since I was a child, creating it, exploring it, and using it as another way to understand and experience the world.
What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
If I hadn’t become a designer, I would be a musician. I’ve been drawn to music since childhood, creating and exploring it as another way to understand the world. It's an auditory extension of visual storytelling.
What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
The people around me have been my biggest support, friends who believed in my vision, along with myself. I’ve kept pushing forward even when others didn’t fully see it, trusting my direction and staying committed to it.

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