/ill-lustrous/ photo poetry exchange is a collaborative conversation between Larrakia, Karrajarri and Wardaman sisters Jenna Lee (artist) and Mackenzie Lee (poet) exploring themes of transcultural upbringing, object memory and intergenerational recollection of family history.
The three objects and their responding poems mark the foundation of ongoing research into Asian Australian and Aboriginal histories connected to slavery, blackbirding and underpay in the European Australian pearling industry - while also drawing on personal experiences to celebrate the resulting melding of cultures within Asian Aboriginal families.
The three objects and their responding poems mark the foundation of ongoing research into Asian Australian and Aboriginal histories connected to slavery, blackbirding and underpay in the European Australian pearling industry - while also drawing on personal experiences to celebrate the resulting melding of cultures within Asian Aboriginal families.
Created for the digital launch of the 2020/21 Hyphenated Biennial
Image of Chinese red silk spool laying on top of black velvet.
Poem Read: Red Thread Veins through ancestral Lines, blood Tired not Shed
Poem Reads: Pearl Button Drawn close by Needle, thread Around my Throat
Image of 8 vintage mother of pearl shell buttons on cardboard backing card laying on top of black velvet.
Image of a mother of pearl shell laying on top of black velvet.
