June 14, 2016
Kingaroy portrait photographer Levi-Craig Murray has an exhibition booked in at the Wondai Art Gallery in 2018 … now he’s looking for a few more willing subjects to help him fill the walls.
But this is only the first part of an art project which he admits is “audacious”.
“Modern Indigenous Australia” (#mia) aims to explore cultural identities, challenge preconceptions and smash stereotypes.
He began the project more than two years ago but it has been gathering momentum lately.
Levi’s dream is to see his portraits projected on to walls, perhaps even on to the sails of the Opera House, to demonstrate to a wide audience the cultural diversity of modern Indigenous Australia.
Levi is of Wakka Wakka descent on his father’s side, and Kalali on his mother’s.
Growing up, he only saw three subjects portrayed in the media about Aboriginality: education, health and sports.
Photographs of Indigenous achievement depicted sporting heroes such as Cathy Freeman, not doctors and lawyers.
And “culture” was often seen only through the prism of skin colour.
However, Levi said in his own family there are Dutch Aboriginal Australians – some whose skin is whiter than white – and as he has travelled around the country he has met Japanese Aboriginal Australians, Chinese Aboriginal Australians etc.
“We are all intrinsically connected,” he said.
Levi said his background has allowed him to see things from both an Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspective.
“I am walking in two spirits, and doing it quite eloquently,” he said.
Levi has good reason to feel proud.
Not only is he a talented, self-taught photographer, he’s also a qualified teacher and Indigenous linguist.
He works for the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services but his first love is photography, especially portraiture.
Levi grew up in Wondai and attended the local school, before heading to Kingaroy State High School and tertiary studies.
He has been taking photos since he was about 11, first with an old Polaroid and then disposable cameras.
Later he transitioned to an SLR film camera.
The limit of 24 shots to a roll – and his pocket money – imposed a discipline to his photography that he still believes in today.
For example, on a recent trip to China he shot just 40 digital images, all perfectly framed.
Levi has already photographed 60 subjects for his “Modern Indigenous Australia” project, but is looking for more people.
He can be contacted via his Facebook page or by email
- External link: Modern Indigenous Australia (Facebook)
