Raynen, 2018
“‘Surreptitiously, I walk hallways to each room, I close doors achingly, in a backwards manner becoming apparition.’
So many of us are encouraged to 'write ourselves in', lest we not exist.
These days, I'm increasingly returning to moments of holding and witnessing myself, within the realms of the 'unsaid', the 'unseen', or the 'unimaginable'.
In the privacy of this exchange with myself that does not warrant hearing to be valued, I make some return to not being 'fully known'.
My hope is, that when we can value those amongst us - as not only being predicated on their story - we might exercise the humanising of each other, without reason.”
Cristian, 2022
"I've always been a transient person. When I was a kid, my father was in the military so we moved house every 4 years or so. I got very used to packing things up, adapting to new environments, starting fresh, and making new friendships with people from all walks of life. I've had my ups and downs and experienced a lot of loss throughout my life but all things considered, I guess I am quite happy these days."
Yumi, 2021
"I grew up with 2 cultures, 2 languages, 2 religions. I learnt to observe everything at a very young age. I became attune to cultural intricacies. I knew how to read a room and ways of becoming invisible. But my race would always be the thing that would get in the way. Growing up in a predominantly white, Anglo-Saxon, Christian, English speaking country with another race running through your veins will do that to you.
I have a daughter and a son. I'm trying to relearn what it is to be mixed race.
How do I free my cultural guard? I want them to feel equal of both their culture, race and languages. I want to know what that feels like."
私は二つの文化、二つの言葉、二つの宗教で育ちました。小さい頃から周りを事細かく観察していました。文化の違いに対して敏感で、その場の雰囲気をいち早く察してなるべく自分が周りから目立たないように振る舞いました。しかし人種の違いがいつもそれを邪魔しました。白人の、アングロサクソン人の、キリスト教の、そして英語を話すこの国で育った私がそういう行動を取るようになったのはとても自然な事かもしれません。
私には娘と息子がいます。今私は二つの人種を持つ意味を改めて理解しようとしています。
どうすれば文化的なコンプレックスから自由になれるのか？
私の子供たちには両方の文化、人種、言葉を平等にそして自由に感じてもらいたいです。
私もそれがどういう事なのかを知りたいです。
Fernanda, 2019
“I was going to be named Macarena, but I was born dark skinned. Dad didn’t like that, but it’s his fault mum says. So she named me after him.
I’m a First Nations world-inhabitant. Yeah Dad’s blood runs thick with quanta, still Mum’s half but her Nation is stronger. The people in charge thought they were right when they smacked language out of her 6 year old mouth. But we learning it now, to speak and laugh and love from inside of it. Mum carries the world in this way, clutching between survival and when moments allow - curiosity. I hope to too.”
Fernanda is a proud Mapuche woman and also a descendent of the Diaguita-Calchaqui nation. She was born in Santiago de Chile and raised in south west Sydney.
Jordy, 2020
“Green is the colour of safety. I cover my body in it, I consume it, I paint it on my skin, my hair, my nails. I want it comfort me and protect me from abrasion. It is my camouflage in a world that is longing, lacking and broken. Living with mental health disorders means I need to be inventive with my modes of survival. But I find that I necessitate banal activities as a means of durability, which often leaves me stuck in cycles of feeling inexistent.
Sadly, a colour cannot protect me. Nothing can protect me when our world is smouldering from the clasp of capitalist greed. But hey, I look cute.”
Simon, 2018
"All I want is a patch of The Earth to call home, somewhere I can do whatever, without restrictions."
Simon has two twists in his spine due to severe scoliosis. Scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine, has no cure but can be treated when diagnosed at an early age. Whilst young girls in Australia are checked at school for signs of the disorder, boys are not usually checked and Simon was not diagnosed until adulthood. Compensating for his affected spine, his body naturally refined the muscles on his front, helping reduce the severity of his chronic back problems.
Josh, 2021
"Yaama Yaama my name is Barraay Bamba Gulbiir also know as Joshur Bell. I’m a Gudjibaal (proud) Bubaa (father) of 4 Wurramaays (sons) and I’m a member of the Ngunnawal Nation and also from Biridja Clan of Gomeroi Nation. Thanbarraan Dhawan 'connecting two rings of dirt'. My bloodlines and songlines allows me to float two worlds and to survive I was fortunate enough to pick up a skateboard many years ago. I’ve learnt in the last few years it’s been my Yiilaman (shield) protecting me but also allowing me to express, release energy whilst being super creative in an individual way that directly contributes to the class conscience movement of artistic creative blaktivism. The resilience and patience developed from skateboarding allows multiple ways of delivering programs and community based initiatives which in the simplest way of paying it forward proudly voicing up around what helped me break the cycles and out of I guess, the self-doubt isolation while connecting with like-minded humans all rising above the norms or society. Live to express not impress."
Leilani, 2019
"So, I simply want to state my name Leilani and acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters where I work and live. I want to acknowledge that nurturing a chosen family is really important to me. That my queerness is a powerful act of self love and care."
Serwah, 2018
"Black women are taught that we have to work 10 times harder than everyone else just to survive. And because of that I've had to adapt, learn and be so many things just to exist. It's a blessing and a curse. But I can confidently say I am at peace with myself and the strength that's grown in me. I forgive the world, but I will never forget."
Serwah Gyekyewah Attafuah is an Ashanti/Fante woman currently living on Gadigal land. She is an artist and political activist, perhaps most noted for her contribution to the highly political anti-colonial death metal band DISPOSSESSED, described as the "most uncompromising, unapologetic and important band in Australia".
Serwah's achievements sit firmly at the intersection between politics and art. She drives a staunch anti-colonial message through her art and music, championing marginalised voices and narratives. Working alongside several First Nations, black and LGBTQI+ groups and organisations, she creates digital wastelands and afro-futuristic reflections of self through 3D art and paintings with strong ancestral themes.
Chris, 2019
“I'm a fat, hairy dude who likes video games, music and dick. I used to be a scientist but now I'm just trying to survive capitalism like everyone else.”
Tulli, 2018
“My name is Tulli Mattes, and I am a pensioner from Camperdown. I love cats, and music, and cigarettes, and design.”
Damian, 2018
"My body is beaten and tired, my mind is sharp and fragile. At this point in life I feel that I have already lived three or more life times of pain and trauma. But do these events and experiences define me as a person? For periods of time in my life they have consumed me. When I came out the other side, you want desperately for the events to not define you in the eyes of others. This is difficult for the ones close and familiar to you. And the irony is that the ones nearest and dearest will always consciously or otherwise define you to some extent by these happenings, but complete strangers see you simply as you are."
Lauren, 2019
“In the last year and a half my life has changed pretty drastically. That’s fine, albeit sometimes jarring. Not the biggest fan of unnecessary nostalgia anyway, it’s why I stopped photographing, though I still work as an archivist. I think I’ve finally thrown away my last expectations of ever fully arriving at somewhere or something. It’s a comforting feeling, that there’s no arrival. Even something put into preservation stasis will immediately change significance and meaning as it hits the air again.”
Lauren is of Koori and Japanese ancestry, living and working currently on Gadigal country.
Harry, 2018
"My name is Harry Bonifacio Baughan and I’m a Jewish-Kapampangan man living on Gadigal land with my roots in Western Sydney. I’m the vocalist in death metal band DISPOSSESSED, where we turn our anticolonial ideals into action that’s founded firmly in our art. I’m also one of the organisers of Anticolonial Asian Alliance, which I see as a way to honour my ancestors’ struggles against colonialism and white supremacy by continuing the struggle alongside mob here."
Anne-lise, 2019
“At the moment even though I’m still working on all the transformative justice projects I do, I’m actually just deeply sad. My dad is dying and he was the person who taught me about injustice. He is so accepting of death, but it just feels gut wrenching. My interest in prison abolition and policing comes from him. I often wonder why it is that nearly all the projects and things I work on are about violence, and really some of it must come from my dad’s Creole ancestry, who were slaves. Immense compassion and resistance have been passed throughout that whole family. I’m going to miss him, his eccentricities and most of all his love.”
Anne-lise Ah-fat lives on stolen Wurundjeri land and was born in Mauritius from slaves and also slave owners. She draws her ACAB sensibilities from her Creole and Chinese roots which taught her to ‘not believe the hype’.
JJ, 2020
“My name is Kamuina Bopenda Bo'nkumu, known to friends as JJ and to the occupying force on so called Australia as Jean-Francois. I was born in Slovenia while my parents lived in Croatia during the Croatian War of Independence. My family came to this country when I was one year old. My parents are both Bantu people from eastern and western Congo, belonging to the Mongo and Baluba people. I have never been there and for most of my life I have never known about this aspect of myself, at the moment I am finding my way back home to learn about my people and our cultural practices that have survived in spite of colonisation.”
Nadja, 2020
Nadja is an monozygotic twin. Nadja and her identical twin Miete were born prematurely via caesarean section due to twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) causes disproportionate blood supply from a shared placenta, and has a very high mortality rate. In TTTS, the "recipient" twin receives increased blood volume leading to heart problems, and the "donor" receives less blood, retarding the donor's development and growth. Nadja, born plump and red, her namesake - a fictional vampire. Miete, born small and emaciated was named after the French word meaning 'little crumb'.
Scud, 2019
“Lutruwita to Naarm. Synths and drums. EBM and Industrial. Film and music. Cosmic and Body Horror. Denim and leather. Queer and non-binary. 1987 to 2019.”
Lee, 2018
“I think I'm a caring person, but I know my sympathy shuts off fairly quickly with some people. Others, my sympathy lingers for too long. I feel that life was easier when I was full of rage and anger. It took over the depression and I was able to live life, I was motivated. It was too destructive, though, and the depression came back. I feel empty, yet full of inexplicable guilt. Like I'm in a glass box at the bottom of a deep hole. I'm a burden to others. I don't worry about too much, but I don't want to end up the person who dies at home and no one finds out for six years, when I'm just a stain of decomposed body fluids. A stain. In death as in life.”