Tajette O'Halloran, is an acclaimed Australian photographic artist, whose latest work delves deep into the often-unseen emotional landscapes of adolescence, identity, and belonging – particularly within our regional and rural heartlands. Her work masterfully blends raw documentary honesty with carefully constructed narratives, exploring the intricate dance between personal memory, the essence of place, and human connection.
Her exhibition, The Quarry, originally debuted at the Byron School of Art Project Space in Mullumbimby, NSW, in 2024. It is now set to open this Friday, August 1, at Hillvale Gallery in Melbourne.
Interviewed by The Byron School of Art in 2024, O'Halloran recalled “For the past two years I’ve been returning to the Bexhill Quarry on the outskirts of Lismore, NSW documenting the people and ecosystems within its parameters. The location, with its aqua blue water nestled under towering sandstone cliffs, is an abandoned brickworks quarry that has become a popular swimming destination for both locals and tourists.
The quarry serves as a constant backdrop to an ever evolving microcosm, bearing witness to the people coming and going, the flora blooming and dying and the landscape shifting and changing - evoking a sense of ‘place’ as temporal and rhythmic in a more-than-human world.
A mother swimming with her teenage son... girls vaping under the pines... a collapsed road from the February flood... Wisteria in bloom... three generations of Japanese women….a cicada caught in a web.”
Central to this extensive body of work is the raw experience of adolescence in regional and rural Australia. O'Halloran places young people firmly in the foreground, portraying them as active navigators of identity, independence, and belonging within environments shaped by climate change and inherent instability. The quarry transforms into an unofficial hub – unregulated, ever-changing, and brimming with symbolism. It's where these adolescents gather, express themselves, and forge temporary communities, far from the gaze of formal institutions.
O'Halloran's photography has garnered significant attention, showcased in exhibitions both across Australia and internationally. She's currently immersed in a year-long commission for the Powerhouse Museum, capturing the vibrant nightlife of the Northern Rivers region. Her much-anticipated exhibition is set to open this August at Hillvale Gallery in Melbourne. Her innovative practice has been recognised with numerous awards, and her work frequently appears in leading arts and cultural publications.
As a valued member of the Oculi Collective, O'Halloran offers a uniquely personal yet critically sharp perspective on contemporary Australian photography. She champions emotional resonance, the intertwining of personal and collective memory, and the rich, layered complexities of life beyond the major cities.
Exhibition opening: 1 August 2025
The exhibition runs until 31 August 2025 and you can read more about it on the Hillvale Gallery website.
Hillvale Gallery
43-45 Edward Street
Brunswick 3056 Victoria
@tajette.ohalloran