Henry Roy - Impossible Island

In a world-first, legendary photographer Henry Roy will hold his first survey at The Art Gallery of Western Australia.

Henry Roy – Impossible Island draws on 40-years of recollections and observations as it brings together 113 photos taken from 1983 to 2023.

The images were shot in places such as his native Haiti, Ibiza, Paris, Dakar, Cameroon, Normandy, Marrakesh, Thailand, and the Ivory Coast.

Image: Henry Roy Girl sleeping, Brazzaville 2002.
Image: Henry Roy Girl sleeping, Brazzaville 2002.

Impossible Island channels the many influences that have shaped Roy’s artistic journey including his exile from his homeland of Haiti to his love of literature and passion for New Wave French cinema.

Henry Roy’s work has been of international interest since the 1990s because of the incredible beauty and richness of his imagery, qualities that have made him a sought-after photographer in magazine editorial and exhibition contexts.

His photographic vision was a key component of the new publishing trends in the late 1990s, specifically as a contributor to Purple, and later in the 2000s Hobo magazine. "Impossible Island evokes my exile from Haiti, and the quest for a metaphorical island, an imaginary refuge where one can escape the brutality of the world. It presents a bittersweet universe where water and sunlight dominate, symbols of both life and death." Henry Roy, Art photographer and writer.

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March

Melbourne: 1 March – 25 May 2025. Featuring the work of approximately 60 artists, The Basement brings to light rare vintage prints from the 1960s – 1980s, from students and teachers of the College’s Diploma of Art & Design (Photography).

Perth: 15 Feb - 3 May 2025. de-centre re-centre highlights the strength and diversity of contemporary photography in Australia. The exhibition explores place and belonging in First Nations, diasporic and queer communities.

Melbourne: 28 March – 4 May 2025. Horan’s work thrives on contrast: the ordinary and extraordinary, rigid and fluid, playful and refined. Using materials like plastic, chrome, glass, and foodstuffs, she elevates the overlooked through precise composition and unexpected juxtapositions.

April

Canberra: 27 Feb until 20 July 2025. The National Library has invited renowned Australian photojournalist Mike Bowers to select some of his favourite images from the Fairfax Photo Archive.

Brisbane: Until 13 July 2025. Amateur Brisbane photographer Alfred Henrie Elliott (1870-1954) extraordinary images lay dormant for decades until they were discovered only recently. This exhibition is curated by seven Brisbane photographers.

Sydney: Until 31 Dec 2025. PIX, Australia’s first pictorial news weekly, is brought to life in this exhibition, showcasing its archived images and stories for the very first time.

Sydney: Until 30 June. The photographs in Max Dupain: Student Life were taken at the University of Sydney in the early 1950s, a period of rapid change marked by the politics of the Cold War.

Sydney: Until 15 May. Scott Perkins new series of expertly crafted landscape photographs and light boxes are located within photography and sculpture disciplines.

May

Melbourne: Opening 4 May 2-4pm. Then open until 25 May. An exhibition of the mature and recent work of photographer / artists who trained at the ground-breaking Prahran CAE, Melbourne in the 1970s and 80s.

Sydney: 15 May – 19 October. Showcasing 100 incredible images, this remarkable exhibition offers a window into the astonishing variety of life on our planet – and the critical importance of preserving it.