‘Red shoes’ poem by Anne Sexton
I stand in the ring
in the dead city
and tie on the red shoes…
They are not mine.
They are my mother’s.
Her mother’s before.
Handed down like an heirloom
but hidden like shameful letters.
The house and the street where they belong
are hidden and all the women, too,
are hidden…
Warsaw Nike, 2024 © Aldona Kmieć All Rights Reserved[/caption]
Red is the colour of love and hate, energy, blood, sacrifice, and courage. Over the last decade, I have often used red in my photography. When reflecting on these images, I see that many of them are connected to my memories, especially from childhood, and the emotions tied to them.
Balancing Act This image holds deep personal significance as it symbolises the emotional state of migrating to another country and culture—being transient, searching for belonging. It is a powerful portrait that speaks to the transition into my new life.
My artist statement for this work reads:
“Balancing Act is an attempted self-portrait, employing not myself as the subject but my model friend Magda. It acts as a vehicle to explore my personal experiences across cultures. I was born beneath a red flag in Poland, yet grew up immersed in the proud traditions of our once great and free nation. I am deeply nostalgic for the distant and faded music of my red piano accordion—the one I learned to play as a child. Some of my happiest and saddest times were shared with that instrument and with a friend who did not survive our youth.”
While this image touches on past memories, it is also contemporary. It represents the balancing act of my present life in Australia, the process of renewal, and the continuous negotiation of my identity across cultures.
Red in Photography: passion, life, energy
The image above portrays Wakaba, a young emerging dancer from Japan. Titled Emerging Dancer or Tobu (to fly), it represents both the freedom of movement and the ambition, striving, and daring that come with youth.
Through her dance practice, Wakaba visibly attempts to harness her individuality and freedom of expression, pushing beyond the boundaries of her own body and cultural expectations.
Red and feminism
This moving image corresponds to an art installation I took part in a few years ago in Ballarat. Beyond 50%: Art Against Gender-Based Violence explored how art can influence cultural change, focusing on artists challenging the narratives around gender-based violence. (Read more about this exhibition here.)
While feminism has exposed gender inequalities and driven political and legislative changes, the statistics on violence against women remain alarming. Issues such as rape culture, domestic violence (which surged during COVID-19 lockdowns), femicide, female infanticide, reproductive violence, and online abuse continue to be pressing concerns. The shame and silence surrounding gender-based violence remain barriers to true equality.
The meaning of a bridge
The final image in this post, The Bridge, was taken in Hampstead Heath, North London. At the time, I lived nearby in Archway and was drawn to the park’s mystery. This is one of the last photos I took in London before migrating to Australia, making it a deeply symbolic image for me.
It represents the unknown, the psychological and physical act of crossing into a new life. The bridge is both literal and metaphorical—a transition, a passage and a moment suspended between past and future.
