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National Photographic Portrait Prize 2023 Finalist
An ethno-futurist perspective asks 'Who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?' It seeks to answer these questions by creating a bridge between the national and the international, between and beyond the collective pasts and futures of our ethnic culture. This is a portrait of my mother Maryam, an Iranian migrant and Australian citizen. She is a keeper of our familial ancestral knowledge, as well as an enduring advocate for diasporic Iranian culture, having established the first Persian language school on the Gold Coast, Queensland. I wanted to capture Maryam's colourful personality and dedication to future thinking, alongside her transcultural identity.
The exhibition is selected from a national field of entries, reflecting the distinctive vision of Australia's aspiring and professional portrait photographers and the unique nature of their subjects.
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.
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