My family home, located in a small town in South East Queensland, Australia, is nicknamed The Pink Palace. It is a place where laughter, joy, religion, and creativity intersect. It continues to be a strange but beautiful world populated by a collection of things my Mother has crafted or been gifted.
Living in this space as a sensitive teenager I felt smothered by the lace and potpourri. Revisiting it as an adult I have lovingly documented my Mother’s things. The series of still lifes create a portrait of a matriarch who I loved, feared and obeyed.
My Mother’s ability to move outside of her Christian beliefs to fully accept me as an openly queer man has been one of my greatest revelations. The Pink Palace is now enjoyed as a safe place where my mother expresses her individual spirituality and at the same time gives me the opportunity to celebrate mine.
Christopher Allery is an artist based in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. Through photography, Allery captures the atmosphere and mood attached to spaces of personal relevance. Connections with the various people who populate these environments often lead to meaningful portraiture collaborations.
Allery has a background in film and visual arts and, in recent years, has been a finalist in the Iris Award for Experimental Portraiture and, in 2022, was highly commended in The Percival Photographic Portrait Prize.
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