© National Portrait Gallery 2025
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Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196
National Photographic Portrait Prize 2017 Finalist
I first photographed aerialist Wonona when she was eight. Her parents own the family-run Weber circus that tours the east coast of Australia. She is one of three sisters who all perform in the circus, which has been in the family for generations. Circus children are homeschooled and the families live on the road in caravans. Wonona, now fifteen, has been in the circus since she was five; she hopes to keep on performing for many more years. This photograph is part of a larger project of photographing this young generation as they grow up in the circus and on stage, predominantly starting from a young age.
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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