Passage
The Art of Atong Atem
$77.99
- Hardcover
256 pages
- Release Date
29 September 2026
Summary
Passage: The Art of Atong Atem is the first major monograph on acclaimed South Sudanese-Australian artist Atong Atem. A vivid exploration of migration, memory and the making of identity, it traces her journey from South Sudan to Australia’s east coast, revealing how family, storytelling and image-making shape her richly staged portraits.
Working across photography, video and textiles, Atem reimagines the intimacy of portraiture. Her signature framing devices - small portals h…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781760765620 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1760765627 |
| Author: | Atong Atem, Osei Bonsu, Natasha Bullock, Anna Honan, Clothilde Morette, Atem Yaak Atem |
| Publisher: | Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd |
| Imprint: | Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 256 |
| Release Date: | 29 September 2026 |
| Weight: | 340g |
| Dimensions: | 22mm x 140mm x 210mm |
Atong Atem
Atong Atem
Atong Atem is an Ethiopian-born, South Sudanese artist and writer living in Naarm/Melbourne. Atem’s work explores the inherent intimacy of portraiture and photography, as well as the role photographers take as storytellers. Her practice interrogates photography as a framework for looking at the world and positioning people within it. She works primarily with photography, video, and textiles to explore migrant narratives and postcolonial practices in the African diaspora, the relationship between public and private spaces, and the exploration of home and identity through portraiture.
Atem has exhibited her work across Australia, including at the National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of New South Wales, National Portrait Gallery, Immigration Museum, Gertrude Contemporary, and Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. Atem has participated in international art fairs such as Photo London 2023, Photo Basel 2022, Unseen Photo Fair 2024, and the Vogue Fashion Fair in Milan. Internationally, Atem has exhibited at the Tate Modern, London; Rotterdam’s Wereldmuseum; Fotografiska Shanghai; and with PHOTO Australia at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A). In partnership with the V&A, Atem has also exhibited in the Africa Fashion exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. Atem’s work is featured in a permanent exhibition at the National Maritime Museum of the Netherlands.
Natasha Bullock
Natasha Bullock is a curator, writer, and art historian based in Melbourne, Australia. She currently serves as Senior Curator, Photography at the National Gallery of Victoria. Natasha was previously Assistant Director, Artistic Programs at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; Senior Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney; and Curator, Contemporary Art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.
Anna Honan
Anna Honan is a curator and writer based in Melbourne, Australia. She currently serves as Assistant Curator, Contemporary Art at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). Anna played a major role in the development of Melbourne Now and has been a key contributor to the NGV Triennial. She was previously Assistant Curator at Head On Photo Festival.
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