National Photographic Portrait Prize 2022 Finalist
Martha is a member of the Bendigo South Sudanese Ensemble, formed in 2019. Every week they would come together to ideate, compose, sing and practice their craft, working towards a performance celebrating their culture and heritage. This formed the project Baai ('home') which premiered in November 2021 after being postponed multiple times.
The photo was taken in The Engine Room, a black box performance space which is quite disorienting to be in when the lights are low. I wanted a sense of the subjects floating in the space, emphasising the feeling of being cut-off and isolated by the pandemic.
Courtesy of the artist