Metamorphosis by Ashlee Pham

Polaroid self-portraiture by Ashlee Pham, Metamorphosis is an exploration of her emotional journey through self-portrait, simple props, and botanical arrangements. Each represents a modal shift in her state of mind as she navigates loss and the stages of depression.

© Ashlee Pham. ANALOG, A PHALAENOPSIS FOR CONFINEMENT, 2020, POLAROID.
© Ashlee Pham. ANALOG, A PHALAENOPSIS FOR CONFINEMENT, 2020, POLAROID.

Artist statement

Created over two years during the most challenging period of my life, this body of work was both an escape and a deep dive into emotions I was yet to become aware of. During lockdown, my bedroom was a safe haven, a place to explore and give form to my inner world. A side table, a bedsheet, a curtain seen through the camera lens was all the magic I needed to escape for even a moment.

During this time I had begun to detach from the only person that has ever really known me, my life partner, my husband. Had you asked me then how I was I could never find the words, I kept my feelings in a box, lid tightly shut and tied with a bow. Through this process howeer, I can no longer stay hidden as the reality is burnt on film for all to see, including me.

About the artist

Ashle Pham is a self-taught photoraphy of Vietnamese origin currently based in Sydney, Australia. Her practice is inhabited by the feminine protagonists of an intimate and melancholic world. The imagery strives to exist beyond age, body, type ethnicity or other social norms to form an aesthetic language that excludes no one.

Her recent work has explored self-portraiture using analog methodologies and in-camera effects that speak to emotional upheaval , exploration and transformation.

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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.

May

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.

Perth: From 31 May – 28 Sept 2025. Featuring 85 works from three major series – Deep Springs, Overpass, and Cross Country – the exhibition spans twelve years of Contis’s evolving photographic practice.

June

Melbourne: June 5 - 16 August 2025. The explore the history of Alan Adler's photobooths and their cultural significance, alongside visual stories told by the community.

Adelaide: 7 June – 16 August. Drawn from the National Portrait Gallery collection, this photographic exhibition captures the experience of lives lived through dance.

Melbourne: 7 June – 31 August. Protest is a Creative Act seeks to address issues around the body, sexuality, race, national identity and the environment.

Canberra; June 19 - July 12 2025. The River Report is a five-day map of when a normal Yitilal (wet season) turned into a major disaster and the local inhabitants were once again displaced.