A free exhibition exploring identity, memory, and transformation through the language of photography has opened in Brimbank.
Artist Aldona Kmieć said the ‘Veil’ series was created while dancing in veils of red, white, yellow, and blue.
“… The forms merge in a blur of light and gesture. Created using long exposures and movement, the works reflect my experience of migration — from Poland to the UK and later to Australia — and the process of rebuilding self in new cultural landscapes,” Kmieć said.
“These works were inspired by a visit to my family in Poland during the winter, when temperatures dropped to -17°C and the farm was covered in pristine snow.
“Returning to Australia in January 2024, I reflected on the complexities of migration, especially as the only family member living abroad.
“In my studio one day, I created these pieces as a meditation on resilience, memory, and belonging, offering an emotional rather than literal narrative.”
One of the works in the exhibition, ‘Veil, white,’ was a finalist in Omnia Art Prize in 2025, as well as in Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize in Muswellbrook in 2024.
Kmieć started working on her art when she migrated to Australia in 2009 after studying photography in London.
“Growing up on a farm in Poland, I didn’t do art and didn’t know any artists personally, but I always knew I’d do something creative one day,” Kmieć said.
‘Veil, supported by Brimbank council, is on show at the Brimbank Gallery and Sunshine Library, 301 Hampshire Road, Sunshine until Tuesday 18 November.
