Tasmania is home to a rich mosaic of cultures, histories, and languages. From the far reaches of the globe — Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Pacific Islands, and the Americas — people have made their way to our island state to escape conflict, find love, seek education and employment and most of all, to build new lives.
For over four years Mark Thomson has been documenting individuals from these diverse cultures by recording aural histories for his project 177 Nations of Tasmania.
In 2024 Mark invited me to collaborate on the project with him, setting out to capture portraits of each of the participants he had interviewed.
The results of this ongoing project are now on display at the State Library and Archives Office in Hobart, as a free exhibition and will soon be published as an illustrated coffee table book.
You can follow the journey of the project through our social media pages:
For over four years Mark Thomson has been documenting individuals from these diverse cultures by recording aural histories for his project 177 Nations of Tasmania.
In 2024 Mark invited me to collaborate on the project with him, setting out to capture portraits of each of the participants he had interviewed.
The results of this ongoing project are now on display at the State Library and Archives Office in Hobart, as a free exhibition and will soon be published as an illustrated coffee table book.
You can follow the journey of the project through our social media pages:
Mark and I are now partnering with the State Library who acquiring the project for public record. As mentioned above we are also adapting the project into an illustrated, full-colour, professionally printed coffee table book that encapsulates the portraits and personal stories of individuals representing over 100 nationalities currently residing in Tasmania.
The 177 Nations of Tasmania publication will be a visual and narrative record of contemporary Tasmania—one that reflects its multicultural reality, fosters social inclusion, and helps reframe what it means to be Tasmanian today. Through a successful grant application, combined with the support granted by the State Library and Arcives of Tasmania, our aim is to print 1177 books. 693 books are slated for sale through local bookshops with 307 books to be distributed for free to public and school libraries across the state, ensuring access for communities in urban centres and remote and regional areas. The remaining 177 books will be gifted to participants in the project.
Andrew is a Tasmanian photographer based in Hobart.
Inspired by the rich drama of the Tasmanian landscape, light and its people Andrew is highly regarded for his depth of visual storytelling, craft skills and striking compositions.
A student of photography throughout his formative years, Andrew’s understanding of light, composition and storytelling was refined while working in the Tasmanian film industry for over two decades.
Naturally inquisitive, with an eye for the unique and unseen Andrew’s photographic clientele and portfolio is diverse; but story is at the heart of everything he captures. What story would you like Andrew to tell for you?