What dualities have you observed in your life? 

Twenty-eight film photographers share their personal experience of duality; within themselves, family, motherhood, culture, and society. 

ABOUT THE THEME: DUALITY

We’re surrounded by contrast and contradictions both in what we observe within ourselves and the world around us. As a testament to the complexities of life, we want to explore duality in the myriad of ways it shows up. At every stop and every turn, our journey is wrought with opposites and we try our best to navigate through these conflicts. As we gain a deeper understanding of duality, we start to see the interconnectedness of it all. It’s the yin and yang, order and chaos, light and dark, and all things in between. Rather than needing to choose one or the other, duality invites us to contemplate the interplay between the opposing forces. The presence of something is also the absence of another. Where there is light, there is also darkness. We might also see duality as a transitional state or an endless cycle like day and night, birth and death, growth and decay. 

In volume 3 of Our Stories on Film, we wanted to see how photographers capture the tension and harmony between opposing forces. We asked:

• How do you integrate opposing aspects of yourself? (e.g. Masculinity & femininity; creativity & logic; perfect & imperfect)

• What dualities have you observed in your life and experiences?

• What are some contrasting forces or contradictions you grapple with? 

• When have you experienced conflicting emotions or perspectives in a relationship? 

• How do you balance opposing forces? 

• How does duality manifest in the cultural or society context? 

Foreword by Sissi Lu

Contributors: Agnieszka Ostrowska / Amy Wu / Ashley Allenfort / Celeste Kawamura Holm / Charlie Roach / Chiara Wenban / Day Feinbaum / Eliza Truscott / Elizabeth Samaras / Ellen Hanratty / Emily Creek / Georgia Lilley / Hazel Mejia / Heidi Mejia / Janet Chu / Joey Chan / Katherine Oostman / Kym Renay / Leah Zou / Lisa Marie Hurley / Maria Guzman / Mariana Boubet / Menucha Colish / Molly Fletcher Magsumbol / Natalie Finney / Sofia Ferreira / Wenisilviani Jong

We acknowledge this community project takes place on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their ancestors and Elders, past, present and emerging.