Helga Salwe is a documentary photographer based in Melbourne, Australia, whose work draws attention to the everyday beauty in people, places and communities. She has worked for a diverse array of clients including the Melbourne Age, The Australian Conservation Foundation and Text Publishing. Her work is exhibited widely and is held in both private and public collections including the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, The National Library of Australia and the Epworth Art Foundation. Salwe holds a Masters of Contemporary Art from the Victorian College of the Arts.
Current Exhibiton
2025 Everyday Climate Crisis, Australian Embassy, Berlin 2025 Paper Tigers, Cairns Courthouse, Cairns
Solo Exhibitions
2024 Mother Country, Lavington Gallery, Lavington Library, Albury 2023 Return, Lot 19 Gallery, Castlemaine 2023 Return, St Heliers Gallery, Melbourne 2019 Three Weeks in Morocco, St Heliers Street Gallery, Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne
2018 Here and There, Salt Contemporary Art Gallery, Queenscliff
2018 Three Weeks in Havana, St Heliers Street Gallery, Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne
2017 Three Weeks in Havana, Epworth Art Gallery, Geelong
2017 Three Weeks in Havana, Ballarat International Foto Biennale, The George, Ballarat
2015 Mother Country, Benalla Regional Gallery, Benalla
2012 My Country, Manning Clark House, Canberra
2008 Pictures from a Winding Path, Horsham Regional Gallery, Horsham
2007 Pictures from a Winding Path, Benalla Regional Gallery, Benalla
2007 No Toxic Dump, Benalla Regional Gallery, Benalla
2006 Pictures from a Winding Path, Ballarat Regional Gallery, Ballarat
2005 Pictures from a Winding Path, Benalla Regional Gallery, Benalla
Group Exhibitions
2023 Headon Portrait Exhbition, Headon Photo Festival, Sydney 2021 Mother Country, Headon Photo Festival, Sydney 2020 The Female Eye, Auckland Festival of Photography, New Zealand 2020 Paper Tigers, Headon Photography Festival, Sydney 2020 Re Generation, Photo Access, Canberra 2019 Loud and Luminous, Contact Sheet Gallery, Headon Festival, Sydney
2019 Beyond Borders by MAPgroup, Mildura Art Gallery, Mildura
2018 Loud and Luminous, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
2018 Beyond Borders, Headon Festival, Sydney
2016 Reflections, Quadrant Gallery, Melbourne
2016 Country, The Barn, Monsalvat, Eltham
2016 Women Photographers Exhibition, Magnet Galleries, Melbourne
2013 Graduate Exhibition, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Victorian College of the Arts
2013 Beyond Reasonable Drought by MAPgroup, 101 Collins Street, Melbourne
2012 Beyond Reasonable Drought, Museum of Australian Democracy, Canberra
2011 Mapping Ballarat by MAPgroup, Ballarat International Foto Biennale, Ballarat
Art Fairs & Festivals
2022 Paper Tigers, Headon Photo Festival, Sydney 2021 Mother Country, Headon Photo Festival, Sydney 2020 The Female Eye, Auckland Festival of Photography, New Zealand
2019 The Female Eye, Pingyao International Photography Festival, China
2019 Beyond the Studio by MAPgroup, Castlemaine Festival, Castlemaine
2018 The Other Art Fair, Melbourne
2017 Artehos, International Contemporary Art Fair, Barcelona, Spain
2016 The Other Art Fair, Sydney
Residencies
2023 Bundanon, Collaboration between writer Cate Kennedy and Helga Salwe
Collections
National Library of Australia
Museum of Australian Democracy
National Portrait Gallery of Australia
Ballarat Regional Art Gallery
Epworth Art Foundation
Books
2024 Beyond Map, Published by MapGroup 2023 Return, Text by Cate Kennedy images by Helga Salwe 2020 Sandstorm, published by Books In This Economy 2015 Mother Country, published by Five Mile Press
2015 Heartland by MAPgroup, published by Five Mile Press
1992 Becoming a Dancer, Text Publishing
Publications
2023 Beyond Map, MapGroup 2020 Paper Tigers, Headon Photography Festival, Sydney
2020 Equality Loud and Luminous, Moment Pro books
2019 Power Loud and Luminous, Momento Pro books
2018 Women Loud and Luminous, Momento Pro books
2017 Photojournalism Now, online blog by Alison Stieven-Taylor
2017 BETA developments in Photography, online magazine by Jeff Moorfoot
2015 Our Way, Big Issue, Queensland University Press
2015 Meanjin, Melbourne University Press
2013 2014, 2015 | MAP Journal, Self-published
2012 Meanjin, Melbourne University Press
1989 Professional Photography, Interview on Photojournalism
Prizes
2024 Finalist, International Monochrome Awards 2024 Finalist, Bowness Photographic Prize, Museum of Australian Photography 2024 Finalist, Headon Photo Festival Portrait Prize, Sydney 2024 Finalist, Headon Photo Festival portrait prize, Sydney 2021 Finalist, Headon Photo Festival portrait prize, Sydney 2019 Photo Access 5x5 Exhibition Prize, Photo Access Gallery, Canberra
2017 Finalist, The Bowness Photography Prize, Monash Gallery of Art
2017 Finalist, Martin Kantor Portrait Prize, Ballarat International Foto Biennale
2017 Finalist, Maggie Diaz Photography Prize, Brightspace
2016 Finalist, The Bowness Photography Prize, Monash Gallery of Art
2016 Finalist, Maggie Diaz Photography Prize, Brightspace
2016 Finalist, The Iris Portrait Award, Perth Centre for Photography
2015 Finalist, Clip Award, Perth Centre for Photography