I created this series of images during my studies in Photo Imaging in Sydney. I decided to photograph friends and fellow immigrants in Australia and also travelled to my country of birth, South Africa, where I explored how identity and culture directly impact on a person’s quality of life, health, life expectancy and human rights.
At the time I created this series, it came from a place of self-exploration, but also a sense of tremendous guilt. I grew up in South Africa during the Apartheid years. At birth, I had to be classified as white under the Population Registration Act. This meant that I had better access to education, health and other services…just because of the colour of my skin.
When I look at these images now, I realise that through guilt, we do not move on or achieve anything. The images and stories of the people I interviewed have now taken on a different meaning to me. They represent stories of courage and resilience.
Hilda is a freelance photographer who lives in Lake Macquarie, NSW. She graduated with a Diploma in Photo-imaging in Sydney and obtained her Bachelors of Arts Degree in Sociology in South Africa. Hilda has a background working in social welfare and has a keen interest in identity and culture.
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