Sammy Hawker's exhibition Portrait sees photographs of young people from Headspace Tuggeranong take over town centre

Over the past six months, she has worked closely with nine young people from headspace Tuggeranong, exploring ways they could co-create photographic portraits. Part of the City Commissions project delivered by Contour 556, one of seven artsACT initiatives in the Creative Recovery and Resilience Program, the works are now displayed around Tuggeranong Town Centre.

Hawker wanted the project to be empowering. One where there was no right or wrong, and where the final photographs celebrated identity and experience beyond just the way her subjects looked in the frame. It was an opportunity to realise we always have some choice whether we repress difficult experiences.

headspace is a safe space that welcomes and supports young people aged 12 to 25, their families, friends and carers, helping them to find the right services. Learning the headspace motto "clear is kind", Hawker realised her project was also about finding clarity as a form of self-compassion - shining light on what for many was a particularly dark and confusing time.

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The portraits of the young people are captured on a large format film camera. Commonly, in photographic practice, touch and marks on negatives are to be avoided. But Hawker invited her subjects to handle, manipulate, scratch or even bury negatives in order to introduce something of themselves. The young folk wrangled puppies, dived into rivers, got dressed up, sprinkled bushfire ash on negatives and processed film in the headspace carpark.

Each participant was invited to use the project to reflect on their experiences of difficult times. Their statements relating to the images reveal resilience and hope.

Chanelle reflected about living in the moment. The negative of her portrait, showing her immersed in the Murrumbidgee River, was processed with water from that river, ocean water and permanent marker.

Sophie spoke of learning to embrace everything in life. Her portrait's negative was processed with bushfire ash and the word "embrace" scratched into it. The ash creates a frame that embraces her.

Sanjeta really likes her photo with jellyfish manipulations as metaphors for how she now goes with the flow of her life journey. Her expression conveys a "so be it" attitude. The negative was processed with Murrumbidgee water, rainwater, seaweed and chemical stains.

Ray wanted to keep connected and bring some joy into the lives of others. The portrait's beaming smile conveys joy. The idea of processing the negative with Whiz Pop Bang bubble mixture and wattle pollen adds to the joy.

Jazzy is photographed with her much loved dog Milo. So, of course, the processing of the negative utilised Milo's pawprints.

When I reviewed her Acts of Co-Creation show (for which she received a Canberra Critics Circle Award) in this publication, I wrote of Hawker's then newly formed relationship with Ngunnawal custodian Tyronne Bell who helped her to learn about sites she was working with. For this project, Hawker arranged for Bell to escort her subjects walking Ngunnawal Country, providing a healing experience for them.

Portrait, by Sammy Hawker. Tuggeranong Town Centre (on windows of Lakeview House and under the Soward Way Bridge). Until July 4.

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