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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Padma Menon, n.d.

Geoffrey Dunn

inkjet print on paper
Padma Menon, n.d.

Padma Menon is a dancer, choreographer and founder of Moving Archetypes. Having begun her dance career in India at the age of nine, she has studied and performed various classical Indian dance theatre styles. Photographer Geoffrey Dunn overlayed his image of Menon dancing with a photograph of an Indian Yogini sculpture by Dr Richard Barz.

‘When I dance, I inhabit the body of my ancient ancestress. I am Goddess – moving the ancient and the present in the same moment. When I dance, I know my womanhood as divine, and as the source. When I dance, I need no permission or affirmation. I experience truth that is at once intimate and universal – this is truth that unconditionally liberates me.’
Padma Menon

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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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