11 years
Pippa Samaya
11 years [detail] 2025
Portrait of Pippa Samaya and Tara Jade Samaya
Digital photographic print
42 x 59 cm
About the Artwork
This is a self-portrait of myself with my wife on our 11th wedding anniversary, though the marriage has only been recognised in this country for eight of those years. Born into an era where being openly queer was still a true act of courage, especially in rural Australia, our marriage was and still is a resilient symbol of our devotion to truth and a love without limits.
About the Artist
Pippa Samaya is an award-winning regional Australian photographer specialising in dance, documentary, and portraiture. Through her collaborative approach, Pippa centres trust, shared authorship, and ethical engagement, whether documenting highperformance dancers, marginalised communities, or individuals navigating life-changing events. Her practice consistently bridges the personal and the universal, creating work that is both visually compelling and socially meaningful.
Her work has been widely recognised through numerous awards, including multiple Australian Dance Awards for Excellence in Dance on Film (2019/2017), two wins at the International 60 Second Dance Film Competition, Denmark/Finland (2017), finalist at the National Photography Prize, winner at the Berlin Motion Picture Festival (2022), Winner of technical Excellence at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival (AUS) (2022).