The Creative Studios @ Kayell – Night with Emily Abay

With over two decades of experience, Emily Abay has collaborated with leading international publications and global clients across fashion, beauty, travel, and lifestyle. Her work frequently features high profile talent and has been commissioned worldwide, with projects spanning studio, location, and large scale productions.

The evening will be hosted by Graham Monro, a Sydney based professional photographer and will take the shape of using iconic images that Emily has created over the years to tell stories that will explain how she has become one of the most sought after fashion photographers in the country.

Images: Emily Abay
Images: Emily Abay

At the core of Emily’s work is a deep sensitivity to human connection. Her images often explore themes of femininity and sensuality captured with an instinctive approach that prioritises authenticity over artifice. This perspective has become a defining thread throughout her commercial and personal practice alike.

Emily’s fine art work plays an integral role in her creative output. Through ongoing photographic series, she examines emotional landscapes and lived experience, creating imagery that resonates beyond the frame. Her fine art collections are held in private collections internationally and continue to evolve alongside her commercial career.

In addition to her photographic work, Emily is a committed educator and mentor. She is widely respected for her immersive workshops and international photography retreats, where she supports emerging photographers in developing both technical confidence and creative voice. Her teaching is grounded in generosity, honesty, and practical industry insight.

Based in Sydney and working globally, she continues to build a body of work that is considered, human, and enduring. The evening will be hosted by Graham Monro, a Sydney based professional photographer and will take the shape of using iconic images that Emily has created over the years to tell stories that will explain how she has become one of the most sought after fashion photographers in the country.

Doors open: 6:00 PM
Talk starts: 6:30 PM

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February

Melbourne: 28 Nov 2025 – 26 May 2026. The exhibition celebrates the wide-ranging photographic practices of more than eighty women artists working between 1900 and 1975.

Sydney: Until 11 April. Unfinished Business brings together the voices of 30 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with disabilities from remote, regional, and urban communities across Australia.

Canberra: Until 6 Sept 2026. Trent Parke’s photographic series The Christmas tree bucket 2006–09 is a tender and darkly humorous portrayal of his extended family coming together to celebrate Christmas.

Melbourne: 11 Feb – 25 April 2026. Familial brings together six international artists whose work navigates the emotional and psychological terrain of family.

March

Sydney: Until 7 Feb 2027. From his archive of more than 200,000 images, Close Up celebrates the historic moments and pivotal people he famously captured.

Melbourne: 5 March – 7 August 2026. Between the mid-1970s and early 1990s, artist and social documentary photographer Viva Gibb (1945-2017) documented the suburbs of North and West Melbourne, where she lived.

Melbourne: 7 March – 24 May 2026. Photos of flowers from the NGA collection by prominent photographers drawn such as Robert Mapplethorpe and four groundbreaking Australian photographers.

Melbourne: 10 March – 5 May 2026. TOPshots is an annual celebration of emerging photo-media artists selected from a large pool of entries.

April

Sydney: 15 April – 9 May 2026. An exhibition of fine art photography celebrating the intersection of maritime history and the human form.