JUDGES
Mia Mala McDonald is a Naarm based photographer
Mia Mala McDonald is renowned for her vibrant, playfully theatrical portraits that that always centre the personality of her subjects. Mia Mala McDonald, was born in Daylesford on Dja Dja Wurrung country in 1982. Her very political and unusual parents embedded in her a deep interest in people and politics, this unique upbringing instilled in her a deep curiosity about people and a knack for connecting with even the most unconventional characters, her approach offers visions of intimacy, empowerment, humour, tenderness, and warmth.
Lekhena Porter (Khmer/Pakeha/Ngāi Tahu) is a photographer from Te-Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa who has resided in Naarm for the last decade.
They work primarily within the portrait realm, shooting fashion, music, queer life, adventure and whatever their current outdoors hyper-fixation interest is. They’ve become part of the furniture in their last seven years at Hillvale Photo but when not here, Lekhena can often be found outside touching grass.
Jahkarli Felicitas Romanis is a proud Pitta Pitta woman and artist. She was born and raised on Wadawurrung/Wathaurong Country and currently lives and works on the Lands of the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung peoples.
Recently, she completed a practice-led PhD at Monash University through the Wominjeka Djeembana Indigenous Research Lab, in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture. Her practice aims to subvert and disrupt colonial approaches to image-making and examines the biases embedded in imaging technologies. Working across photography, moving image and spoken word, Jahkarli draws on her family stories, oral histories and archival research to inform her making.