National Photographic Portrait Prize 2024 Finalist
Angela Tiatia
born Aotearoa/New Zealand 1973, Australia from 2012
The Dark Current 2023
pigment photographic print on paper
‘This work is an homage to my mother, Lusi Tiatia, who passed away in early 2023. It is a testament to the sacrifices and struggles that her generation endured when they migrated to the cities of Australia and Aotearoa from the villages of the Pacific Islands in the 1960s. I had a very clear idea of the presence of the person I was looking for to embody my mother in this image. After months of searching with no luck, finally a friend messaged me Cassaerea’s Instagram profile. She was perfect: strong, calm, resolute, captivating.’
Based on Gadigal Land in Sydney, artist
Angela Tiatia explores contemporary culture, drawing
attention to relationships between representation, gender,
neo-colonialism, the commodification of body, history and place.