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National Photographic Portrait Prize 2022 Finalist
Every time I see my 90-year-old grandma Lai Chu, I stare in awe at her. I'm in awe of her resilience living through decades of war, poverty, migration and pandemics. I'm in awe of her spirit as she battles through the effects of ageing, once looking at pneumonia in the face and saying 'Not today'. I'm in awe of how she springs back up after a physical fall, losing her front teeth on her way down. I take her picture every visit, wanting to immortalise her while I grapple with her mortality.
Little did I know when I took this portrait that it would end up being her last. Now I stare in awe at this photograph, hoping that I will inherit the inner strength she's left behind.
Courtesy of the artist
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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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