Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome. I'll begin today by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land that I'm presenting from today, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, and I pay my respects to elders past and present. I'd also like to acknowledge the thousands of years of storytelling and art creation that have taken place upon these lands. My name is Tara from the National Portrait Gallery, and I welcome you all to our virtual highlights tour, NPPP at Yarra Ranges. For those in the know, NPPP stands for our National Photographic Portrait Prize, and today we're discussing the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2022. So whilst we're a buzz with news of NPPP 2023, our '22' exhibition is currently touring around regional venues in Australia. Our little housekeeping, please mute your mics and turn on your cameras if you feel comfortable. Also, any questions you have or comments or introduce yourself, pop it in our chat box, and we hope to have time at the end of the session to address as many questions as we can. So today, our panel discussion is led by Madeline Rees, or Maddie Rees, who is the Museum's Exhibitions Curator at Yarra Ranges Regional Museum in Victoria. Maddie is joined by Ayman Kaake, who is an NPPP '22 finalist and an award-winning Lebanon-born Australian-based photomedia artist in Melbourne, and Joey Chan, also an NPPP '22 finalist, who is a portrait photographer based in Melbourne, who appreciates beauty and the ordinary, and her practice tells visual stories of everyday people. Thanks for joining us, guys, and I'll hand over to Maddie to begin the panel.
Thank you. Thank you so much, Tara. Before we get going, I'd also like to take this moment to respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands that I'm joining you from today, which is Wurundjeri Wurrung Country, and I'd like to take my respects to Aboriginal community elders past and present who have resided in the area and have been an integral part of the history of the Yarra Rangers region. I'm really excited to be talking with Joey and Ayman today about their works in the NPPP 2022, currently on display in Lilydale in regional Victoria. What I really love about the NPPP and the tour is that the portrait gallery allows each venue to reinterpret the hang, which gives an opportunity for curators such as myself to find our own connection with the works. As Sandra Bruce discusses this in her exhibition catalog essay in reference to the audience, and what she says of the portrait is that we observe, we explore, we recognise, learn and wonder. A good portrait will ensure that in some way we connect, which is why I've chosen to talk with Joey and Ayman today.
So before we kick off, I will just remind everyone we will have an opportunity at the end to ask a few audience questions. So just pop them in the chat and I'll keep track of them throughout this discussion. So Joey, we'll start with you, but would you like to introduce us to your practice before we get onto your work in the portrait prize?
Certainly. Hi everyone. So lovely to be here. Thanks for the welcome. So a bit about me. I've been taking photos for about 12 years, but it was only really the last three, I think coming out of lockdown, that I really honed in on what I wanted to do and why I love photography and also really focused on my style, the subjects and I guess with a camera, the types of stories I wanted to tell. I also fell in love with film photography and I picked up some old vintage cameras, the old school film days. I think recently has had a bit of a resurgence, but I think my first film camera was probably around 10 years ago. I love the process of film and I think that has been a big part of my photography and being able to connect with my subjects, especially in my portrait work. I guess when I think about photography, I've realised recently that my passion isn't really photography. It's about people. I've forever been really curious about people, why they do what they do, how they think and I think coming into photography was just an excuse to connect with people with a camera and it's kind of a ticket for me to speak with people and have their permission to understand them, talk to them and build that rapport and trust with them. That's kind of my big focus is really about people. I might go to some of my recent work which highlights this. The first two photos of my friend Samar, I only met her probably around a year ago and through the camera I was able to uncover she's this amazing woman from Yemen and her just describing what life was like as a woman in Yemen and her search for creativity and self-expression which was a very difficult back home for her. I can't describe the experience. It doesn't quite do it justice but because of having just spent a lot of time with her she was able to reveal who she was to me in front of the camera so that was something that I think is very meaningful to me. The other project I've been working on and is around just taking photos of strangers really, centred around this place called Section 8 in Melbourne. So just picked a few but I started just to - well, it's my favourite bar in Melbourne. I don't know if you've heard of it or know about it but the people that come to this place is very eclectic, they're diverse and very - I just found this place so interesting because I'm originally from Brisbane. One of the things that for me that challenged my practice was actually just taking photos of strangers which is daunting for anybody but I had my film camera. I had maybe five minutes with someone typically and to build that rapport in a really short amount of time. That was a personal challenge and I think the results are something that I'm quite proud of and hoping to make this into a more substantial piece of work so it's an ongoing project. Yeah, that's me in a nutshell.
Amazing, thank you. So, my hand over to you but do you want to introduce us to yourself and your practice as well?
Hello everyone. My name is Ayman Kaake and I'm Lebanese and I moved to Australia in 2011 to continue my study in engineering or at least that's my mom thought I was doing because I was doing visual art. I didn't tell her till after five years when I sent her this little thing to her and then inside there was images of the one that I created to show her the landscape, how I felt when I was away from home and I start actually in drawings and printmaking and then after that I bought my first camera in 2015 and I start realising or photographing what I was sketching and documenting my feeling of isolation, being away from my siblings and because I'm one of 12 so there was a lot of stories happening in the house so it's kind like in self-portrait documenting feelings and emotions. This is how I started and then once I finalised that Australia is my second home and not feeling homesick I moved from documenting my feelings to documenting another stories that might be social, political, humanitarian such like working with refugees or working with women that flee their countries or migrate to here to provide better life for their kids and normally I work with everything like I do film, analogue or digital, I do videos as well and plus I take calligraphy and lockdown was tough in Melbourne for lockdown so I taught how to serve and how to do embroidery as well with the help of my mum and my brother in Abu Dhabi.
And did those skills, new skills of sewing and that, have they really kind of inspired your work for the portrait prize as well?
That was actually my first attempt of sewing that Birka in further. Amazing. So this is Ayman's self-portrait and so both Ayman and Joey's works are kind of dealing with themes of migration and strong female matriarchal women in their lives so Ayman do you want to discuss this work for us in greater detail if possible? Yeah it's actually a random inspiration because during lockdown we didn't stop working and I was working with my friend Daha and she's a woman and we were like doing wrapping some stuff at the sweet shop and then we were talking stories and stuff and then she told me she wanted to go to pray because we have a smaller prayer room in our place and women they have to wear prayer clothing and normally it's white or blue like a plain and then I went and I saw her wearing this leopard print prayer clothes and I asked her what happened to the white and plain blue and she told me we evolved honey and then she told me if we have to wear it why not for our own voice and it was so inspiring that the second day I just went and I purchased the fabric and then I have a sewing machine that I bought from Facebook marketplace which has problems so I dialed my brother and Abu Dhabi told him because he's a fashion designer and I told him what happened here and then he told me where to put the threads and everything and then during the cutting I was calling my mom for more than two hours and tell her what I was doing and stuff so we kind of like felt the family project but everyone in different countries and actually like this made in one day from the whole fabric and everything but the short was it took only five minutes for like a full day preparation for five minutes first and I was like I think that's it and I showed my mom and my brother was like my mom she told me at least this is not a nude photo which is going on so yeah so that's it and now like I actually I took photos of all the prayer clothing in a different pattern to create a whole series of the whole like thing I think we've got other photos of some works from that series as well we might be able to bring up as hopefully in a minute yes the polka dot incredible and it's all made like in my kitchen next to the sink so it looks like a big space but it's actually it's in the kitchen and was this photographed in lockdown as well some of them in lockdown some of them like just lockdown.
Amazing and are there any other works from your practice you want to share at this point too Ayman? I think there was there was one with the embroidery.
Yeah I did and this was a finance at the Islamic Museum and won the prize and at CCP which is like I put it in a frame let's see if you can get that one up in a minute yeah so this is when I start doing embroidery on photographs and plus including some different technique to it to make it more handmade yeah other than just photograph because I'm opposite of Joey I'm afraid to ask strangers to take the photos like I will have a heart attack if I want to go it's like can I take it but I was like it's I can't do it I don't know how she's doing she's a special art that approaching strangers for for works I think even in some of these discussions that happens as well.
Maybe Joey we'll go to your work the portrait of your grandmother before we go over could we just bring up Ayman's work we actually need to know the title of the work to share it so we can visit lockdown and that's lock up the lockdown not lock up thank you yeah that's the one so beautiful stunning so yeah that's the during lockdown and just in the study I was like how there is more domestic violence especially when they have to be locked up in the same house where the the females are beaten or domestic violence violated and this is in like homage to them and especially because a man wearing a book and speaking about this issue just like to raise awareness about them being feminism it's not a war between men and women and the discussion should be included with the two genders absolutely absolutely.
Thank you Ayman. Joey let's talk about your grandmother so this is a really personal portrait as well as like Ayman's and this is someone you have an approach to do you want to talk about.
Yes no no stranger here so in in Chinese culture like the children look after parents especially when they get older and my grandma lived with us for as long as I can remember and so she was a big part of my life growing up and you know I'd I know you know bits and pieces I mean she wasn't a big share actually she kind of just like you know got on with things and but what I knew was obviously like coming from you know 30s 40s 50s life was really tough she had to raise five children on her own she was widowed as a you know she was young widow and ever since I guess we migrated to Australia I think she's always held that kind of mentality and I always kind of wanted her to enjoy herself because you know she doesn't you know very very privileged to be in Australia and but I just I don't know I was always in awe of how you know how tough she was she always presented very very tough she never complained or anything and I think that the photos the portraits of her started after she survived pneumonia in 2018 it just felt like you know I think when you go through that especially with such a close family member it kind of makes you realise that you just have this extra time like what you know time like if you know she's still with us so what can we do now what what conversation what do I need to ask her you can you want to make the most of that time you have with them so we're really lucky we have we had a few more years with her but I made it a thing for us between her and I that I take a photo why I you know record little videos and I put on Instagram is because she was hilarious she just didn't understand this generation and why did I dye my hair why my jeans were ripped or anything like that so it just became a real funny and bonding experience for us but so yeah every time I visited her and Brisbane I would just yeah take a photo and I happened to have my medium format camera with me in this instance and it was also the last portrait I took of her so after that I went back to Melbourne and unfortunately she passed a few months after that so yeah it just kind of you know a beautiful way in a very I guess unintended way to commemorate her and through the NPPP you know being selected as well so I feel like she's she's still with us and she's you know really looked after me yeah like that's kind of yeah the story behind it it's like a smile and have fun really because she was awesome you just want to shake her because she's always so serious again I think that's grandmother's role sometime is to be serious and to care for you when you're making silly decisions and I mine mine was like that as well.
But it's such a nice thought that both your works of you know it's traveled extensively kind of around the country for the past 12 months and we're kind of coming towards the end of this tour one thing about this prize I've noticed is that you know there's so much more diversity on the walls than there have been previously I worked on the 2012 national NPPP at a previous venue and yeah it's the diversity of people in front of and behind the camera as well so how let anyone I might start with you but how do you feel the portrait prize and entering it and and it's to her being a finalist has really shaped or changed your experience of exhibiting and potentially making works like do you make works now with with the prize in mind?
I used to make works just for the prizes but then I felt like I'm limited myself and limited what I want my intention of my work so now I'm making my work and see if it fits the price on that and this is how artists should work but being a finalist like this image I took in 2021 was still talking to that like at the same image till 2023 because it's touring and because they gave her long they gave the photo longer lives and this is what national portrait gallery is their gallery is doing at the moment giving these images these stories longer life which is amazing and so yeah I was happy to be a finalist and you get to travel around and you popped out here for the launch but has it offered you opportunities to connect with other artists as well a man yeah there's a lot of national community they now they reach out to me and tell me their stories and even offer me like if like tell me the story personal stories which is really good and the plus offer me a different platform like and the rate is to look at my work at the same time as well and even like offer me some space to exhibit my work which is really great and I'm like I'm having another solo exhibition for the same year like I had a three solo exhibition because of the exposure star had from the National Portrait Prize and being winning other competition at the same time as your and I'm just asking you know the question and has your practice evolved are you photographing other people as well now within that or just still sell portrait the new series I'm photographing close friends which is called 99 names about the criminalization of homosexuality in more than 74 countries and this is started as a solo exhibitions hosted by Midsummer Festival and represent at Brunswick Street Gallery as part of the main prizes and then the same one it's going to be shown at Edge Gallery in Maldon so this is one of the photos the blackstrike which is involved a lot of cultural references and and telling the story about a hypocrisy and politics society and put in a name of religion. Wow incredible and black and white as well. Tell them black and white it's actually the photos behind me just like the selections about where I'm going to put everything in the gallery and it's going to be in the opening will be in September at Maldon.
Wonderful and Joey how do you feel the Portrait Prize has potentially changed your perspective or open it up to the audience given that you know this photo of your grandmother is striking emotion is what I can say when I saw it having recently lost my own Nana how do you feel it's affected your practice or?
Yeah well first I think I take a lot of inspiration from amazing artists like Ayman so it's like really awesome to be able to connect with so many other photographers and just to speak to them about their creative practice. For me like it was like I'd still consider myself like very new to photography and I'm constantly thinking about you know how do we how do I connect with people through my work and how how do people you know feel what I felt in the moment by you know seeing my work and so it's really humbling and amazing to hear like you know that that does you know reach more people and that people give great feedback that they do feel something maybe it reminds them of a family member or their grandparents. I guess things like that just like makes me it's very encouraging and gives me the confidence as well to kind of keep doing what I'm doing because it's really easy to look at other people's work and feel like you know that you might be doing something wrong or I guess yeah you kind of especially with social media kind of susceptible to a lot of outside influence but I guess yeah having having piece of work part of the internal prepay just being on such a massive stage I guess and platform to be shared around is really yeah really amazing and yeah very very grateful for that for the experience.
Yes we are a society very kind of flushed with images at the moment and you know the Portrait Prize alone I believe had almost two and a half thousand entries and you know both of you are obviously very strong being the finalists so congratulations and I might open it up to questions from the audience now so if anyone does have any questions just pop it in the chat. I have noted that we have one from me to Laura and they have asked a question directed towards you in the they're curious about the gloves in your images in your self-portrait.
It depends because there is two gloves so one of the gloves in lock up not lock down it's our used the gloves they're using when you're cleaning the house as a part of like a two great domestic and in leopard print it's just the red gloves is just to get the themes about my mum because she used to plant a lot and use gloves so I kind of get this inspiration from it and the gloves that I'm wearing is just I don't want to show my hairy hands that's all but I go to savers a lot and lots of vintage and I think I have a lot of gloves you will see them in photos hopefully. I love a good savers find.
Yeah amazing. Anyone else having questions they'd like to ask the others don't be shy pop it in the chat. Yes so I will just quickly cycle so right behind me in the gallery so I'm currently seeing in the box at the Yarra regional museum we've got Ayman's work here and then if we head round the corner a little bit we can see Joey's grandmother just down there so we're very excited to have the court surprise here. I don't think we're going to get any other questions but Ayman, Joey thank you so much for chatting with us today, chatting with me today.
Thank you. Thanks for having us. And thanks to everyone for joining us I really encourage you all to if you live in Victoria to pop out Lilydale it's a really great place you know we're kind of like the gateway to the Yarra Valley and the hills and it's beautiful season at the moment but thank you also to Tara and the National Portrait Gallery for hosting us today they've been such an amazing team to work with and I'm sure Ayman and Joey very much sing their praises too. So yes thank you. Tara back over to you.
Thanks Maddie and thank you to our wonderful panellists. I'd also like to thank our online community for joining us today for this discussion I hope you enjoyed it and you can further check out both Joey and Ayman's work and the Yarra Rangers on the links will pop at the end. I really enjoyed the discussion into your guys contemporary practices and the discussion as well around culture and family which is really important. So thank you everyone. I hope everyone also joins us next Tuesday as we focus on some of the bespectacled beings which is a real tongue twister in our collection on the 18th of July virtual highlights to our girls who wear glasses. We'll see you all online then.
