We Outside
- What
- EXHIBITION
- When
- General information
- Grand Foyer, Community Gallery
- Tickets
How do young African-Australians create spaces for connection and community? What challenges do they face in keeping these spaces alive?
Experience We Outside, a striking exhibition showcasing the resilience, identity, and creativity of African-Australian youth through powerful photography.
We Outside is a visual documentary by Nigerian-Australian photographer Ayooluwatomiwa ‘Ibukun’ Oloruntoba, capturing event spaces created by and for young African-Australians in Melbourne.
Video and images bring to life the resilience, diversity and richness of the African-Australian community, offering a glimpse into the complex narrative of this community shaping and its identity within the mosaic of Australian society.
Oloruntoba’s style is often observational, yet there is an undeniable intimacy in his photographs that reflects his active role as a community member and advocate. Using 35mm film, Oloruntoba’s black-and-white images allow the strength of community to lead the narrative throughout this body of work.
Through showcasing this identity and what it means to be African-Australian, We Outside brings recognition to these events while advocating for their ongoing support.
The project serves as a testament to the importance of these culturally safe environments by engaging event organisers to uncover the challenges they face, the motivations driving them, and the support required for the continued development of these spaces.
Artist Bio
Dr Ayooluwatomiwa 'Ibukun' Oloruntoba is a 27-year-old Nigerian-Australian analogue photographer based in Melbourne. With an MD/PhD in AI and dermatology from Monash University, his medical interest in the human condition informs his passion for documentary photography, capturing people, events, and cultural narratives.
Gifted a point-and-shoot film camera by his father in 2018, Ibukun has since explored various film formats, from 35mm to large format. A transformative visit to galleries in the U.S., where he encountered the work of photographers from the African Diaspora, deepened his commitment to representation. Recognising the lack of visibility in Australia, he now uses photography to celebrate and amplify African-Australian stories, working to carve out space for their narratives in the broader artistic landscape.
Supported by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants
Accessibility
Please view our accessibility page for general information. Contact our team on 13 11 02 or email us at [email protected] to discuss how we can support your visit.
