South Sudanese-born and Melbourne-based photographer Atong Atem discusses her work with writer and ABC broadcaster Fiona Gruber. Highly self-aware, Atong plays with and critiques the porosity of cultural boundaries and we are delighted to welcome her to Messums London for her UK debut as part of our Emerging Talents series this August.

Atong works primarily with photography and video to explore contemporary identity through portraiture and in particular the fluidity of migrant narratives and postcolonial practices in the African diaspora. She explores concepts of home and identity through a critical and sentimental lens and references the works of photographers Malick Sidibe and Seydou Keita as well as science fiction writers such as Octavia Butler as her aides in navigating these liminal spaces.

Atong has exhibited her work across Australia,including MUMA Monash, Gertrude Contemporary, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art and Internationally at Red Hook Labs in New York, Vogue Fashion Fair in Milan and Unseen Amsterdam art fair.