With graduation only two months away, Sonja Broersen is living and working in Melbourne after completing the Bachelor course last year, majoring in art.
Focussing on themes of self and using a minimalist language, Sonja's current work "Soft Stone" consists largely of self portraiture, with the addition of still life and sculptural elements, using photography to reflect on her experience with feminine identity.
This series was exhibited at her graduate show Always Already, at Besser Space, Melbourne (2016). Previous work includes self-published photobook Distance (2015), exhibited as part of the group show Kapow! (2015) at Ruffian Gallery, Melbourne. Broersen has also recently exhibited works in exhibitions such as the IPF Photo Prize (2016) and the CCP Salon (2016).
Soft Stone is a body of work that is the result of continual reflection and a lingering confusion of what it means to photograph the self. It has evolved from a simple intrigue into an illusive and largely intuitive desire to gain a better understanding of my identity as a woman. The driving force of this work is a conflict I find within myself - a contradiction of actions and beliefs that stems from growing up with unattainable and damaging social expectations - the back and forth of embracing and rejecting femininity.
We are now living in a time where embracing femininity is just as empowering as rejecting it. This has prompted me to reflect on myself and reevaluate my identity as an adult woman. I am not looking to reach any sort of conclusion - I am merely attempting to gain a wider understanding of one part of my identity. My experiences are, and continue to be, unique; I am not attempting to reflect a universal experience of womanhood or femininity. This project is the result of my own reflection, investigation, and experience.
See more of Sonja's work