Not long ago, my mother sold her childhood home. Initially built by my Great-Grandfather and Great-Grandmother, it’s been an overwhelming and exhausting journey to restore the place. Once loved, over time, it has quietly decayed away. Books, unopened boxes, and hoarded objects filled the rooms and hallways. Paint began to peel off the walls, with forgotten inherited possessions hidden beneath it all.
Restoring a place filled with so many good and bad memories has tested my mother’s perseverance. Despite that, during a pandemic, the devotion I witnessed to give this home a new meaning in its next life has made her true strengths shine, and I couldn’t be prouder.
Throughout the years we spent clearing rooms, I occasionally pulled out my camera to photograph the precious moments that symbolised the
end of a journey for my mother and our family. In every part of the transformation, we encountered familial possessions, once assumed lost, and reminisced about our cherished memories from the past.
Ryley Clarke (b.1999) is an emerging photographer and filmmaker living and working in Melbourne, Australia. Ryley weaves together evocative, introspective and cinematic photographs. Often seen with a camera in his hands or around his shoulders, he creates with spontaneity, natural tendency and direction. Ryley’s practice unveils the human experience of sharing events, moments and stories that shape our lives. With an eye for photography as a storytelling medium, he intertwines themes of identity, belonging, love, loss, and resilience. He explores these ideas through the intricacies of the human condition, delving deep to explore emotions, connections, and narratives that resonate universally.
Kickstart our month-long festival of the arts with music, photography, and community on the shores of the dazzling Bondi Beach. Be the first to know who won the 2024 Head On Photo Awards and get a taste of the photographs redefining visual storytelling.
Enthralling. Enchanting. Extraordinary. Discover exceptional photography for free around Sydney during the festival 8 Nov–1 Dec 2024