Balancing Act

Limited Edition Print on Hahnemuhle Baryta museo rag paper

★ Winner, BAF Eureka Art Prize 2014

Balancing Act is an attempted self-portrait, though not of myself. I chose my friend, Magda, as a conduit through which to explore my experiences across cultures. We were both born in Poland, met in Ballarat, and were new migrants to Australia. I grew up immersed in the traditions of a nation that once epitomised freedom and carry a deep nostalgia for the distant, fading music of my childhood accordion—the instrument through which I first experienced joy and connection to my inner world.

Above all, the image, while touching on memories which point to the past, is also a contemporary one. It reflects my life now in a new country, the possibilities of renewal, and my ongoing attempt to balance all aspects of myself—past and present.