© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
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National Photographic Portrait Prize 2023 Finalist
Sitting on a picnic table by Parramatta River in Western Sydney after school, Somia and Sharara, recently arrived humanitarian entrants from Afghanistan, celebrate Zainab and Nasreen's (twins also from Afghanistan) birthday. Little moments and picnics (Mela) like this are the norm in Afghanistan and Afghan culture, especially around nature. For young Afghan diaspora girls who find themselves in a new world and home, these have taken on more significance, as recent socio-political turmoil in Afghanistan has seen access to public life, education, economic participation and other rights gradually eroded for women and girls. Shot on Pentax 645n, Kodak Portra 800.
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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