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 and is a member of Mapgroup, an independent collective of documentary photographers.
Upcoming Exhibitions
2020 June - The Female Eye, Auckland Festival of Photography, New Zealand
2020 May - Paper Tigers, Headon Photography Festival, Sydney
2020 March - Re Generation Photo Access Gallery, Canberra
Solo Exhibitions
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
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
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
Collections
National Library of Australia
Museum of Australian Democracy
National Portrait Gallery of Australia
Ballarat Regional Art Gallery
Epworth Art Foundation
Books
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
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
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