MIXED EMOTIONS is an ongoing project that gives prominence to the stories and voices of people within the Asian diaspora, specifically those who have grown up in South East Queensland.

The project navigates diasporic cultural experiences and identity using personal artefacts, and examines their potential for conjuring meaning, memory and connection to one's ancestry. These items include family heirlooms, national flowers, clothing and sentimental items. Using these symbolic artefacts, the work reveals individual stories as defined by growing up Asian in Australia. These stories include memories of childhood, cultural traditions and familial connections of the subject and of second generation Asian Australians. 

ARTIST BIO

Ellamay Khongroj Fitzgerald is an emerging artist based on Yugambeh Country. Her lens based practice spans across photography, video and new media with an ongoing exploration into her dual Australian and Thai heritage. Ellamay's work is largely influenced by her lived experiences growing up mixed-race on the Gold Coast and perceptions of culture, identity and place as a second generation Asian Australian.

Using lens-based and community engaged processes, Ellamay aims to elevate people within the Asian Australian diaspora, with a core focus on dismantling perceptions of Australia as one constructed culture.

ellamayphoto.com

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A Big Thank You to
Lisa Tran Kelly,
Mika Campbell,
Natasha Losung,
Ruby Yu-Lu Yeh,
Wanida Serce,
For allowing me to share their incredible stories,

Rebecca Ross,
For her invaluable mentorship and guidance,

Jorge Serra,
Creative Collaborator,

Georgia Howlett,
MUA & Hair Artist, 


MIXED EMOTIONS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which the project was produced, the Kombumerri families of the Yugambeh Language Region and the Turrbal people of Meanjin. We would like to pay our respects to the elders of these Nations — past, present, and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

This project is supported by GENERATE GC, a City of Gold Coast initiative delivered in collaboration with Tasdance and SITUATE Art in Festivals.

The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government and the City of Gold Coast Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.