Occupation Displacement by Darrian Traynor

Melbourne photojournalist Darrian Traynor presents Occupation Displacement – a selection of uncommissioned and self-funded work made over three years focusing on stories of people affected by conflict in the Middle East.

© Darrian Traynor
© Darrian Traynor

After nine years of war, over five million Syrians have fled their country. The overwhelming majority are now refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Six million people remain internally displaced within Syria.

© Darrian Traynor
© Darrian Traynor

In 1948, almost 85% of the Arab population of Palestine became displaced as a result of the creation of the state of Israel. Today, five million of their descendants live in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria – some in official UN camps, others in unofficial “gatherings”.

© Darrian Traynor
© Darrian Traynor

"I travelled to Gaza in 2016, Jordan in 2017, and Lebanon in 2018. In my view, the world’s media, all too often, rushes to cover war and conflict and leaves when the bombs stop falling,” Traynor says. “The intention of this body of work is to continue to tell the stories of civilians affected by war long after the conflict has ended. This includes their injuries (both physical and emotional), their displacement, and their new homes, but also their ingenuity and dignity.”

© Darrian Traynor
© Darrian Traynor
© Darrian Traynor
© Darrian Traynor
© Darrian Traynor
© Darrian Traynor
© Darrian Traynor
© Darrian Traynor
© Darrian Traynor
© Darrian Traynor

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November

Sydney: The exhibition delves into the State Library of NSW's vast collection of two million images, showcasing 400 photos – many displayed for the first time.

February

Ballarat: Scotty So is a Melbourne-based artist who works across media, using painting, photography, sculptures, site-responsive installation, videos and drag performance.

Melbourne: Jill Orr’s The Promised Land Refigured is an exhibition that reworks the original project created in 2012 with new insights that have emerged in the past eleven years.

Sydney: Curated by Lynn Smith, Urban Enigmas aims to unlock the subtle mysteries that lurk in out-of-the-way places in big cities: back lanes, river banks, street markets, abandoned factories, old bridges and so on.

March

Ballarat: Nan Goldin is an American artist whose work explores subcultures, moments of intimacy, the impacts of the HIV/AIDS and opioid epidemics on her communities, and photography as a tool for social activism.

Sydney: The Ocean Photographer of the Year Award, run by London based Oceanographic Magazine is in its 4th year and has quickly achieved recognition amongst photographers around the world.

Albury: The National Photography Prize offers a $30,000 acquisitive prize, the $5000 John and Margaret Baker Fellowship for an emerging practitioner, and further supports a number of artists through focused acquisitions.