New Voices in Australian Photography
Exposure Collective
New Voices in Australian Photography is the culmination of an 18-month unique mentoring program created to provide skills development, mentoring, professional opportunities, and network development for four emerging First Nations photographic artists.
Mary-Lou Orliyarli Divilli, Maria Fredericks, Nuriah Jadai, and Maria Maraltadj have each developed individual bodies of work, using this experience, their photography, and their practice to heal. The work offers viewers an important voice and stories told about First Nations people, by First Nations people. This showcase will be the first time Kimberley artists, Mary-Lou Divilli, Maria Fredericks, Nuriah Jadai and Maria Maraltadj, have exhibited solo bodies of photographic artwork.
ABOUT EXPOSURE
Perth Centre for Photography (PCP) is pleased to announce the third chapter of Exposure, an ongoing mentor program created to provide skills development, mentoring, professional opportunities, and network development for emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander photographers from Western Australia.
Exposure 3.0 will take on a new approach, by offering four, remotely based, First-Nations artists a 18-months mentoring program, tailored to the development of their photo media practice. PCP has partnered with Kimberley-focused organisation, Camera Story (CS) to deliver the program to the four artists based across the Kimberley and Pilbara regions. PCP and CS have identified an under-representation of remotely based Indigenous photographic artists in the contemporary arts – particularly female Indigenous artists. While photography is increasing as a medium for artistic and cultural expression in Indigenous communities, access to opportunities, support and resources is a challenge. It is important for both Australian and international audiences that First Nations voices are heard and correctly represented. Their stories are often told by non-Indigenous people, misrepresented or remain unheard.
Exposure 3.0 will bring resources to the artists in their communities, setting them up with equipment, computers, and online access so they can shape their artistic practice around their family and everyday lives. With ongoing access to resources and mentors, the women will have the time and space to develop a solid body of work. This project intensifies the breadth of professional education and skill honing with access to quality resources and ongoing mentoring. With a shared vision, and resources, along with existing relationships with each of the participants, PCP and CS, Exposure 3.0 will welcome back Maria Fredricks, Nuria Jadai, Maria Maraldtij and new Exposure participant, Mary-Lou Divili to participate in Exposure 3.0 to explore their practices and new ways of working with photography. This intensive series of workshops and mentoring sessions will include project planning, testing new photographic techniques and styles and connecting with other creative leaders across Australia and overseas.