A World of One’s Own: Portrait of a Bright Future with Atong Atem

How important is it to make yourself and others visible? What can a photograph achieve, and what is the power of the photographer? Tai Snaith and Atong Atem discuss all the different aspects of Atong’s identity and how making sense of them informs her artwork. Atong explains what it is like to grow up ‘between cultures’ as a South Sudanese person in Australia and the liminality that exists as part of that. Atong openly addresses the complex nature of racism and the very real issue of ‘everyday racism’, often by ‘good’ people. With a practice that has always leaned towards portraiture and self-portraiture, this conversation with Atong very much revolves around ideas of the self, the power of the photographer, and power of accessing and owning your family history. Additional Resources: Atong’s website: https://www.atongatem.com/ Native Tongue by Mojo Juju: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLQ4by3lUJo https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jul/17/turnbull-says-there-is-real-concern-about-sudanese-gangs-in-melbourne LightWork website: http://www.lightwork.org The Bakehouse Project: http://bakehousestudios.com.au/art-project MECCA M-Power: https://www.vogue.com.au/beauty/news/mecca-teams-up-with-the-national-gallery-of-victoria-for-a-beautymeetsart-prize/news-story/8034beb56a5cd05cb5eb22fa7e353e7b