Be/Longing

Be/Longing uses lens-based practices to document the transition into adulthood and how ‘longing’ can accompany this change. The work reflects my own transition of moving from a Regional upbringing, to Melbourne and the expectation to move away once you become of age. My work centres on how I can capture the ‘invisible’ weight of this experience — aspects that are more felt than seen. My work is shot on film, the process and duration reflect my desire to slow down during this transition. The subjects of my images are symbols of ‘home’ partnered with my current life, to portray how I perceive longing – combined desire and nostalgia. The images symbolise how 'home' is impressed on the body and the soul, it is an organism, that lives, breathes and beats at the core. It is reflected in the skin and the body, as it nestles itself beneath the surface of my being. The project reflects my introspective experience, documenting how I carry my upbringing in Regional WA, in the Irish Catholic Diaspora and how those bridge to now – that is, entering adulthood far from home. 

The work embodies duality through themes of longing, transition, and identity. In particular, the shift from girlhood to womanhood, where grief and celebration coexist. I explore the tension between presence and absence by documenting the invisible emotions of the transition to adulthood, aspects that are more felt than seen. My work reflects the emotional duality of attachment and detachment associated with moving out of regional life, whilst my introspective methodology balances personal reflection with universal resonance. My work