National Photographic Portrait Prize 2024 Finalist
(Nur) Aishah Kenton
born Singapore 1998, Australia from 2016
'Aishah!' Self-portrait with my mother. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2023
pigment photographic print on paper
‘I struggle to assert myself as an adult with my mother. When visiting family in Malaysia, her natural dominance often overshadows my own independence. I have tried to change the dynamics of our relationship but have never found the right way to achieve this. Recently I started photographing my family, and my mother is very happy to be involved. Without the camera I am her daughter, however with a camera I feel more equal, more myself around her. The medium helps me explore our relationship and observe how we change when the act of photography is at play.’
(Nur) Aishah Kenton is a Malay/Australian artist and educator based in Naarm/Melbourne. Kenton’s practice is often collaborative and examines personal, social and cultural life experiences.