Photo Reflecting Refugee Plight/Politicisation Short-Listed

A striking black and white image portraying a family arriving in a small boat with the lights of Melbourne’s Carlton Housing Estate illuminating the background was a finalist and highly recommended in the Heartlands Refugee Art Prize recently.

The Photographer And The Message

Somali refugee Ibrahim Abdullahi arrived in Australia as a young child and now lives in Carlton’s Lygon Street flats. He is a 22 year old student hoping for a photo journalist career that would include working on international battlefields.

With his photo Ibrahim wanted to bring the asylum seeker issue ‘closer to home’.

“People often view it as an external issue, something far away..
The offshore processing and politicisation of the issue is really shocking and appalling..
I wish to see Australia become more accepting and less marginalising of their ethnic population.”

The Heartlands Refugee Art Prize

The competition is now in its fourth year. It is presented by AMES and Multicultural Arts Victoria in partnership with Parks Victoria, VicHealth, and the Victorian Multicultural Commission.

EXHIBITION VENUES
The shortlisted artwork was on display at Melbourne’s fortyfivedownstairs in Flinders Lane from 18-29 June 2013 in the lead up to Refugee Week.

It is currently on display at the Walker Street Gallery in Dandenong from 4-27 July 2013 as part of the Emerge Festival.

It will then be shown at The Homestead, Werribee Park from 1-14 September 2013.

The 2013 Winners

This year first prize has been awarded to two outstanding painters, Sutueal Bekele and Minh Phan. Third prize winner was Idil Abdullahi.

Congrats all round